Farming the Seas

Technology-driven fisheries start-ups are emerging as critical enablers of sustainable growth, resilience, and value creation in India’s expanding blue economy

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India's fisheries future will be decided not only at sea, but in innovation labs and ponds

One of the critical pathways to provide end-to-end solutions in the fisheries and aquaculture value chain is technology infusion. The flagship programme, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), through this pathway, aims at fostering sustainable, economically viable, and inclusive growth. The aim is also to strengthen fisheries livelihoods, nutrition, and food security. This has become even more relevant with India’s stature as the world’s second-largest aquaculture producer, accounting for 8 per cent of global fish production.

In this context, PMMSY has enabled the nurturing of an ecosystem of innovation for over 250 startups. These entities are making grassroots interventions through precision aquaculture using the Internet of Things (IoT), Machine Learning (ML), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), among others. The areas of intervention include water quality, feed, real-time weather inputs, fish growth, and disease management. Most of these startups are located in coastal states such as Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana. However, in view of 75 per cent of India’s fish production now being sourced from inland states, a surge of new startups in the latter is also being witnessed.