FNB News - Govt of India organises Fisheries Startup Conclave at Hyderabad to promote entrepreneurship in sector

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Govt of India organises Fisheries Startup Conclave at Hyderabad to promote entrepreneurship in sector

Thursday, 03 April, 2025, 15 : 00 PM [IST]

Our Bureau, New Delhi

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has organised the Fisheries Startup Conclave at Hyderabad, Telangana to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in the fisheries sector. During the Conclave, the ‘Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge 2.0’ was launched with the aim to encourage the startups to develop transformative solutions in the fisheries sector and to drive innovation, sustainability and efficiency by supporting Startups with seed funding and incubation.

The Fisheries Startup Conclave witnessed active participation from over 50 fisheries startups, highlighting their innovations in areas such as aquaculture, fisheries technology, and value addition. Key outcomes of the conclave included the identification of potential areas for promoting innovation and sustainability, challenges and opportunities for startups regarding validation of their products & services, access to funding, market linkages, technology adoption and sustainability concerns.

Under Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge 2.0, two Startup winners will be selected for each of the five problem statements, resulting in a total of 10 Grand Winners. Each winning Startup will receive a cash prize of Rs 10.00 lakh, amounting to Rs 1 crore in seed funding support. Winning Startups will gain access to incubation facilities and mentorship provided by ICAR, National Fisheries Development Board, and attached offices of the Department of Fisheries, Government of India. This challenge presents a unique opportunity for fisheries-focused startups to develop high-impact solutions, scale their innovations, and contribute to the growth and modernisation of India's fisheries sector.

In January 2022, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in collaboration with the Startup India under the Invest India, DPIIT, Government of India organised the Fisheries Grand Challenge 1.0, wherein,12 Startup winners were selected and awarded a cash grant of Rs 2 lakh each, including an incubation support and a seed grant up to Rs 20 lakh (General category) and Rs 30 lakh (SC/ST/Women) to 10 winners for transforming their ideas into effective pilots, which would further translate into commercialisation. Further, the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India has also sanctioned 39 Nos of Project Proposals with subsidy assistance of Rs 31.22 crore, under the Entrepreneur Model of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme.

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Government of India is focusing on the areas in fisheries technology, aquaculture, and value addition by supporting a basket of interventions/activities along the fisheries value chain including quality fish production, expansion, diversification and intensification of aquaculture, promotion of export oriented species, infusion of technology, robust disease management and traceability, training and capacity building, creation of modern post-harvest infrastructure with seamless cold chain and processing facilities. The technology infusion and adoption has been enhanced through establishment of 52,058 reservoir cages, 22,057 RAS & Bio?oc units and raceways and 1,525 sea cages approved under PMMSY with an investment of Rs 3040.87 crore. The Department of Fisheries has collaborated with several research institutions under Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and private incubators to boost the fisheries startup ecosystem.

The Department of Fisheries has supported the establishment of five fisheries business incubation centres namely LINAC-NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre (LlFIC), Guwahati Biotech Park, Assam, National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education (CIFE), Mumbai and ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi to provide mentorship and training for developing business models by fisheries start-ups, cooperatives, FPOs, and SHGs.

The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Government of India has approved construction/modernisation of 66 Fishing Harbors (FHs) and 50 Fish Landing Centres (FLCs) with total outlay of Rs 9,558.91 crore that are expected to create safe landing and berthing for about 47,000 ?shing vessels, benefitting 8.94 lakhs fishers and other stakeholders. 3 Smart & Integrated Fishing Harbours are being developed with global standards, technological advancements, seamless hygienic and post-harvest management etc. Under Fisheries Infrastructure and Aquaculture Development Fund (FIDF) 141 proposals have been approved with a total project cost of Rs 5915.54 crore. This included establishment/ upgradation/maintenance of 22 Fishing harbours and 24 Fish Landing Centres at an outlay of Rs 4,905.77 crore and Rs 182.20 crore, respectively. 6.16 lakh stakeholders are expected to benefit, and 2.5 lakh employment opportunities will be created including 8,000 stakeholders benefiting from 33 private investment projects.

Under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) the Department of Fisheries has approved the development of post-harvest interface viz- cold storage, fish processing and Marketing infrastructure. The major post-harvest and Marketing infrastructure include; 66 fishing harbours/fish landing centres, 634 ice plants/cold storages, 21 Modern wholesale fish markets including 3 Smart Wholesale Markets, 202 retail fish markets, 6694 fish kiosks, 27118 units of fish transportation facilities, 128 value add enterprises, 5 E-platform for e-trading and e-marketing of fish and fisheries products. Further, the Department of Fisheries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) with an objective to provide a digital platform and empower all stakeholders including traditional fishermen, fish farmers producer organisation, entrepreneurs from fisheries sector to buy and sell their products through e-market place. Further, PMMSY has supported 2195 fisheries cooperatives as Fish Farmers Producer Organisations (FFPOs) with project outlay of Rs 544.85 crore to facilitate fishermen with better market linkages, improved bargaining power and sustainable value-chain for higher returns.

This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, George Kurian, in a written reply in Lok Sabha.