National Skill Olympiad – Chennaionline

In a riveting contest for the top spot, P Surya Bhaskar, who works with Devi Fisheries Ltd at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, was adjudged the winner of the second edition of National Skill Olympiad on Seafood Value Addition, with the grand finale held during Seafood Expo Bharat 2026 here today. A total of ten trained seafood processing professionals showed their culinary competency and technical expertise in preparing seafood in the final round of the Olympiad, an initiative of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). Muthu Kumaran, of Theva & Co, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, grabbed the second spot while Ms Sagarika Sardar, who is associated with SS Seafoods Pvt Ltd, Kolkata, West Bengal and Ms Barasarani Jena, Sabri Food Products Pvt Ltd, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, came third and fourth, respectively. The winner of the final round was awarded Rs 1,00,000 while the prize money was Rs 75,000 for second and Rs 50,000 for third place, respectively. An amount of Rs 25,000 was given as a consolation prize for the fourth position. MPEDA Chairman Shri P. Jawahar; Director Dr Ram Mohan M.K.; Secretary Dr Gibin Kumar; Joint Director Shri Anilkumar; and Dr K N Raghavan, CEO, Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), who was the Chief Guest, distributed cash prizes, medals and certificates to the winners. At the Grand Finale, the finalists were tasked to prepare six value-added seafood delicacies having demand in the international markets — Nobashi Shrimp, Breaded Butterfly Shrimp, Cooked Peeled Deveined Tail-On (PDTO) Shrimp, Marinated Shrimp Skewers, Breaded Squid Rings, and Fish Fillets. This they had to do before an eminent jury comprising Dr. Sarika K., Senior Scientist, ICAR-CIFT, Kochi; Dr. Nithin C.T., Processing & Quality Assurance Supervisor, NIFPHATT, Kochi; Shri Francis Assisi, Production Manager, Parayil Seafood Pvt. Ltd.; Shri Jayan Jacob, General Manager, Sandhya Aqua Exports Pvt. Ltd.; and Mr. Vijayakrishna, General Manager, VKM Foods. The panel assessed the participants based on technical skill, hygiene, precision, presentation and the quality of the finished products. Shri Jawahar said the Olympiad represents an important milestone in building a resilient and globally competitive seafood sector capable of meeting the evolving expectations of international markets. “MPEDA is making credible efforts to put emphasis on quality assurance, food safety, processing excellence, skilled workforce, sustainable seafood production, and reliable supply chains. The Olympiad then becomes the vehicle through which India is strengthening its export ecosystem,” he added. The event was attended by senior officials from the Central and state governments, seafood exporters, international buyers, industry leaders, technical experts, and delegates participating in Seafood Expo Bharat 2026. The award-winning value-added seafood products prepared by the finalists were showcased at the Skill Olympiad Pavilion, along with live demonstrations and tasting sessions featuring export-oriented seafood value-added products developed through MPEDA’s training programmes. A tasting session of the value-added seafood products was also held in the MPEDA’s Skill Olympiad pavilion. In the run up to the event, MPEDA had conducted 50 Seafood Value Addition Training Programmes across the East and West coasts of India, through which more than 2,500 seafood processing workers and professionals were trained to prepare marine products in high demand in international markets. The regional rounds were held in Mumbai (West Coast Zone) and in Visakhapatnam (East Coast Zone). The ten finalists were selected from among contestants in the regional rounds of the Olympiad on June 30.