Cooperatives to Power India’s Blue Economy: HM Amit Shah
Amit Shah Launches Deep Sea Fishing Vessels to Boost Blue Economy and Empower Fishermen
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 28th Oct: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Monday inaugurated Deep Sea Fishing Vessels under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) at Mazgaon Dock, Mumbai, marking a key step toward modernizing India’s fisheries sector and promoting cooperative-based development along the coasts.
Speaking at the event, Shah said the Modi government is committed to realizing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and strengthening India’s blue economy through the cooperative movement. “The hardworking poor should be the owners of the profit—this is the successful model of cooperation. When the poor become economically empowered, the country truly prospers,” he asserted.
The Home Minister said the two trawlers inaugurated today will enhance India’s capacity to harness its vast fisheries potential, with profits directly reaching fishermen through cooperatives. He added that the government, in partnership with state administrations, plans to provide more trawlers, fish processing units, chilling centers, and export vessels under the cooperative model in the coming years.
“These trawlers can stay in deep seas for up to 25 days and carry 20 tons of fish. Facilities for coordination, processing, and living will ensure that our fishermen can work efficiently and profitably,” Shah said.
Highlighting the government’s progress, Shah noted that India’s total fisheries production has nearly doubled—from 102 lakh tonnes in 2014–15 to 195 lakh tonnes in 2024–25. “Our 11,000-kilometer-long coastline has immense potential, and the Ministry of Cooperation has set a goal to ensure that profits from this sector reach our fishermen brothers and sisters,” he added.
Shah drew parallels with successful cooperative models in other sectors, citing Amul in Gujarat and sugar mills in Maharashtra as examples of how cooperatives can transform rural economies. “Just as dairy and sugar cooperatives have made farmers self-reliant, fisheries cooperatives will soon become engines of prosperity for coastal India,” he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, and Union Minister of State for Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol also attended the event.
