Chennai: Tamil Nadu is set to establish India's first Marine Export Special Economic Zones (MEZs), a significant development for the nation's seafood export industry. This ambitious initiative aims to bolster marine exports by creating integrated industrial clusters specifically for seafood processing and export.
The project involves developing five MEZs across Tamil Nadu's coastal districts. These zones will feature modern infrastructure, including fish feed manufacturing units, seafood processing plants, cold storage facilities, packaging centers, export logistics hubs, and shared utilities. This integrated ecosystem is expected to boost efficiency, lower logistics costs, and enhance the global competitiveness of Indian seafood exports.
An estimated US$1 billion (approximately ₹8,500 crore) will be invested in infrastructure development. The Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ), operating under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is spearheading this initiative. Around 2,500 acres of government-owned salt pan land have been identified in Tiruvallur, Villupuram, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, and Ramanathapuram districts. MEPZ has requested the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to facilitate the land transfer.
Officials project that these Marine Export Zones could generate annual exports worth nearly ₹32,000 crore. The chosen locations offer natural advantages such as access to brackish water, rich coastal ecosystems ideal for aquaculture, and proximity to existing ports and seafood processing facilities. These factors are crucial for supporting integrated shrimp and fish farming, thereby boosting export-oriented production.
This initiative coincides with a period of growth for Tamil Nadu's seafood exports. According to the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the state's seafood exports increased from 1.30 lakh metric tonnes in 2024–25 to 1.52 lakh metric tonnes in 2025–26, marking a 16.7% rise in volume. Export value also grew from US$840 million to US$878 million, a 4.5% increase.
Successful implementation of this project is anticipated to attract substantial private investment, create thousands of jobs across the fisheries and processing sectors, improve incomes for coastal communities, and further solidify Tamil Nadu's position as a leading marine export hub in India.
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