Thanseer K R of Kerala declared winner of MPEDA’s National Skill Olympiad on value-added seafood exports

In a keen tussle for top honours, Thanseer K R, who works with Abad Foods Malipuram in Kerala, was adjudged the winner of the inaugural edition of National Skill Olympiad on seafood value addition, the grand finale of which was held today during the Seafood Expo Bharat in the city.

A total of four trained seafood processing professionals showed their expertise and competency in the final round of the Olympiad, a pioneering initiative of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) which aims to give an impetus to export of seafood products and build a skilled professional pool.

Balamurugan I (Edhayam Frozen Foods Pvt Ltd, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu) came second while  Ms  Sandya Rani Palaparthi (Coastal Cooperation Ltd, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh) was at the third place. Ms D. Anitha (Sandhya Aqua Exports Pvt Ltd, Kakinada) grabbed the fourth spot.

The awards were announced by Shri. Hibi George Eden, MP and Authority member of MPEDA, and Shri D.V. Swamy, Chairman, MPEDA.

During the finals, the contestants were asked to rustle up preparations from Breaded Butterfly Shrimp, Cooked PDTO (Peeled, Deveined, Tail-On) shrimp, Breaded Squid Rings and PDTO (Peeled and deveined tail-on) skewered shrimp in a time-frame of 80 minutes.

The products were judged on the criteria of quality, hygiene, execution and presentation.

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.

The winners were also given medals and certificates.

The panel of the judges comprised Dr Parvathy. U, Senior Scientist, ICAR-CIFT, Kochi; Shri B. Koteswar, Processing & Quality Assurance Supervisor, NIFPHATT, Vizag; Shri. Francis Assisi, Production Manager, Parayil Seafood Pvt. Ltd; Shri Jayan Jacob, General Manager, Sandhya Aqua Exports Pvt Ltd; and Shri Krishnan K, General Manager, Sagar Grandhi Exports Pvt. Ltd.

Shri Eden appreciated the efforts of MPEDA in conducting the Olympiad and taking the initiative of seafood value addition to greater heights.

The MPEDA Chairman lauded the participants, recognizing their dedication in preparing value-added seafood products and their efforts in attending the Olympiad.

The finale of the Skill Olympiad was witnessed by stakeholders, including officials from the Central and State fisheries departments, seafood exporters, foreign buyers, and other delegates of Seafood Expo Bharat 2025.

Shri Swamy said the Olympiad is a novel initiative to boost India’s seafood value addition sector and make the country a global hub for value-added seafood exports. “MPEDA is planning to make it an annual event. There is a growing demand for seafood value added products in international market. Such an event will give a fillip to seafood exports from India,” he added.

As a precursor to the event, MPEDA had conducted skill tests for trained professionals across the East and West coasts of India to assess the practical skills acquired during training. The preliminary rounds were held in Kochi (West Coast Zone) on May 29 and in Visakhapatnam (East Coast Zone) on June 5. The finalists were selected from among the ten contestants in the semi-final round of the Olympiad on June 30.

The products prepared by the Skill Olympiad champions were displayed for the audience. A tasting session of the value-added seafood products was also held in the MPEDA’s Skill Olympiad pavilion.