Shri Ram Nath Thakur, Honourable Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, reviewed the research and development activities of the ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIBA) during a meeting with the institute’s scientists and officials held on 24th August 2026. During the review, the Hon’ble Minister assessed the institute’s key research and development initiatives aimed at promoting climate-resilient, sustainable, and profitable brackishwater aquaculture in the country. He highlighted the significant contribution of aquaculture to India’s fisheries sector, noting that it accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the nation’s fish production, which has reached about 20 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the current financial year, while also serving as an important source of nutritious animal protein. He underlined that since 2014 the budget allotment for agriculture and fisheries sectors have been in the progressive trend which has resulted in the increased fish production.
Dr M. Kailasam, Director, ICAR-CIBA, presented the institute’s vision, thematic areas of research and the recent research achievements, technological innovations and societal developments made by the institute.
In his address, the Hon’ble Minister emphasized that fisheries and aquaculture have been identified as key sectors for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047, with a national target of producing 40 MMT of fish. He urged the scientific community to develop innovative strategies and technologies to help realize this ambitious goal. The Minister commended ICAR-CIBA for its pioneering contributions, including the Super-Intensive Precision cum Natural Shrimp Farming (SIPNSF) technology, improved broodstock development of the native shrimp species Penaeus indicus, and innovative feed technologies such as fishmeal-free shrimp feed, Blue Swimmer Crab feed, shrimp larval feed, and several other value-added techno-products. He also appreciated the institute’s efforts in developing responsible aquaculture planning tool, digital knowledge transfer and shrimp crop insurance products. He observed that these innovations have been well received by the aquaculture industry and strongly reflect the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister towards achieving “More Crop per Drop”, “Doubling Farmers’ Income”, “Circular Economy”, and “Make in India”.
The Hon’ble Minister interacted with the scientists and appreciated their dedicated efforts in undertaking demand-driven research based on insights generated through national flagship programmes such as the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan and Khet Bachao Abhiyan. He directed the scientists to develop timely advisories and adaptive technologies to help farmers mitigate and adapt to the potential impacts of climate change phenomena such as El Niño on food production systems. During the interaction, Dr.A.Panigrahi, Principal Investigator, genetic Improvement Programme for Indian White Shrimp (Penaeus indicus) apprised the Minister that the nucleus breeding facility for P.indicus shrimp has been established at CIBA with the PMMSY scheme funding. Emphasizing the importance of technology dissemination, the Minister stressed that the innovations and technologies developed by ICAR-CIBA should reach aquaculture farmers across all regions of the country, with special attention to poor and marginal farmers, including those in states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He conveyed his best wishes to Team CIBA and encouraged them to continue their efforts towards enhancing the welfare of fish farmers and strengthening livelihoods dependent on the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The review meeting was ended with the vote of thanks proposed by Shri. Navin Kumar Jha, Chief Administrative Officer, ICAR-CIBA.
