India's Aquaculture Revolution: Tech Breaks Climate Barriers for Trout Farming

Over the years, there has been a significant upswing in central government investments dedicated to this sector. From the initiation of this endeavour in 2015, the cumulative investments, totalling an impressive Rs 38,572 crore, have been approved or announced across various schemes.

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, is set to inaugurate the Smart Green Aquaculture Farm and Research Institute and state-of-the-art Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) Facility, following the general body meeting on January 5, 2026 in Telangana.

Smart Green Aquaculture Limited has established India's first commercial-scale tropical Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)-based Rainbow Trout Aquaculture Farm and Research Institute, marking a watershed moment in the evolution of Indian aquaculture.

Situated at Kandukur Mandal in Ranga Reddy District, Telangana conclusively demonstrates that high-value cold-water species such as Rainbow Trout can be farmed year-round in tropical climates, using precision engineering, controlled biological systems, and advanced water recirculation technologies.

This achievement overturns long-standing assumptions that premium aquaculture species are geographically constrained to specific climatic zones, and it establishes technology-not climate-as the primary determinant of aquaculture viability.

The project functions as a live training and demonstration platform, equipping youth with hands-on experience in advanced aquaculture systems, automation, and biosecurity, thereby strengthening human capital in the fisheries sector, according to the ministry.

Cold water fisheries are rapidly gaining momentum as a dynamic and high-potential segment within the broader fisheries sector.

Driven by rising market demand for premium cold-water species, expanding domestic and export opportunities, and increasing investments in sustainable aquaculture technologies, this sub-sector is emerging as a key contributor to livelihood generation and economic growth in mountainous and high-altitude regions.

Moreover, trout farming represents a high-value and strategically important segment of India's aquaculture sector largely concentrated in Himalayan and hill states such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim of leveraging cold, well-oxygenated water resources from snow-fed streams and rivers.

The Department of Fisheries has made significant strides in harnessing these resources through the development of rainbow trout hatcheries, which have substantially increased fish production and created local employment opportunities.

The government is decisively driving aquaculture as a strategic growth engine through focused investments, technology adoption, and institutional reforms.

- IANS