"India is setting new global standards in data-driven governance and inclusive growth through the Marine Fisheries Census 2025"

In an exclusive AgroSpectrum interview, George Kurian, Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India, described the Marine Fisheries Census (MFC) 2025 as a historic shift from estimation-based planning to a new era of evidence-driven, precision governance.

- 

Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the MFC 2025 becomes the central pillar of India's marine-sector transformation, aligning governance with the long-term national aspiration of Viksit Bharat 2047. George Kurian highlighted that the Ministry's initiatives under the guidance of Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Cabinet Minister of Panchayati Raj and Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, are already delivering record levels of production and exports while ensuring that technology, sustainability, and inclusivity permeate every intervention. Ultimately, MFC 2025 equips India with the consolidated intelligence needed to emerge as a top-3 global seafood power, setting new international benchmarks in transparency, traceability, and responsible ocean stewardship.

The MFC 2025 is described as a foundational dataset for Indian marine fisheries. How will this census reshape policy planning, coastal livelihood schemes, and blue economy development over the next decade?

The MFC 2025 will fundamentally reshape planning by providing a cogent, granular database with a multidimensional focus on the sector for the first time.

For Policy: The Census will provide us with real. We will have a precise, multidimensional understanding of the present condition—financial status, equipment ownership, and infrastructure status—of every single fishing family and village. This becomes the bedrock for rolling out schemes like Pradhan Mantri Matsya Yojana (PMMSY), allowing for highly focused and requirement-based allocation of resources.