ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIBA), Chennai, along with its regional centres at Kakdwip (KRC-ICAR-CIBA), West Bengal, and Navsari (NGRC-ICAR-CIBA), Gujarat, celebrated the 98th ICAR Foundation Day on 16 July 2026 with great enthusiasm and commitment.
The celebrations comprised three distinct events. The day began with a tree plantation programme at the institute premises, during which senior officers planted tree saplings, symbolizing ICAR’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Subsequently, scientists, staff members, and research scholars watched the live telecast of the ICAR Foundation Day function held at the National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC), New Delhi. During the national event, ICAR-CIBA’s specialized Blue Swimmer Crab Feed technology, “BSCrabPlus,” was officially released.
An afternoon function was organized as part of the Foundation Day celebrations. Dr. S. Santhana Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer, Marine Technologies, Chennai, graced the occasion and delivered the Foundation Day address. In his speech, he shared his reminiscences of CIBA’s journey from its formative years to its present stature as a premier research institute in brackishwater aquaculture. He emphasized that CIBA should continue to pursue basic, applied, and strategic research programmes while prioritizing climate-resilient aquaculture technologies and AI-based advisory services and products to remain at the forefront of innovation and competitiveness in the sector. He also distributed certificates to the winners of the essay competition organized as part of the 98th ICAR Foundation Day celebrations.
Dr. M. Shashi Shekar, Head, Aquatic Animal Health and Environment Division, and Director-in-Charge, ICAR-CIBA, presided over the function and coordinated the celebrations throughout the day. In his welcome address, he highlighted the significant achievements of ICAR-CIBA and its immense contributions to the advancement of brackishwater aquaculture in India.
Dr. P. K. Patil, Scientist-in-Charge, PME & ITMU, delivered a comprehensive presentation on ICAR-CIBA’s technologies, highlighting their intellectual property protection, commercialization status, and impact on the aquaculture sector.
