Production, export and competitiveness of fish and fishery products in India: An analysis across technology and policy phases

India's marine product sector has seen significant growth, benefiting consumers, boosting foreign exchange earnings, and supporting livelihoods. This progress is attributed to the research and development (R&D) efforts and the supportive policies. The Government of India has implemented targeted schemes to enhance fish production and exports, drawing from past experiences to inform future strategies. This study identifies five structural breaks in fish production and exports, coinciding with shifts in technology, policy, and institutions. From 1980–81 to 2018–19, national fish production increased annually by 6.3% for inland fish and 2.4% for marine fish. However, production performance varied widely across states. The study examines export performance in terms of growth, instability, and competitiveness, revealing variations across product groups and structural break periods since 1995. Although marine products exports show competitiveness according to revealed comparative advantage (RCA), this advantage has diminished over time. Granger causality analysis indicates a bidirectional causation between fish production and exports, emphasising the importance of comprehensive R&D and policy interventions along the value chain. The study underscores the critical role of enhancing production and value addition through favourable R&D and policies to sustainably boost fish production and its value. Keywords: Fish production, Granger causality, Marine exports, Research and development policy, Structural breaks