Aquaculture Ponds in the Sundarbans Delta near Canning and Moukhali, West Bengal, India.
Photo: Adobe Stock
India, the world's second-largest fish producer, is celebrating National Fish Farmers’ Day on 10 July, recognising the contribution of fish farmers and marking a scientific breakthrough that helped lay the foundations for the country’s modern aquaculture industry.
The annual event commemorates the successful induced breeding of major carps by Indian scientists Hiralal Chaudhuri and K. H. Alikunhi on 10 July 1957.
Their work demonstrated that fish could be induced to breed under controlled conditions through the administration of pituitary hormones, helping overcome the seasonal and uncertain availability of naturally collected fish seed. The breakthrough supported the development of hatchery-based seed production and the subsequent expansion of freshwater fish farming across India, particularly the cultivation of major carps such as catla, rohu and mrigal.
Almost seven decades later, carp species remain the backbone of Indian inland aquaculture. According to the country’s Handbook of Fisheries Statistics 2025, major carps account for around 54% of total inland fish production.
Chilika Lake, Odisha, India.
The latest government figures also show how significantly the scale and structure of India’s fisheries sector have changed since the middle of the 20th century.
Total fish production increased more than 26-fold, from 752,000 tonnes in 1950–51 to a projected 19.78 million tonnes in 2024–25. The fisheries and aquaculture sector now contributes an estimated 1.1% to the national economy.
Over the same period, the centre of production shifted decisively from marine fisheries towards inland fisheries and aquaculture.
Inland production rose from 218,000 tonnes in 1950–51, when it represented 29% of the national total, to a projected 15.16 million tonnes in 2024–25, equivalent to 77% of output. Marine fish production also expanded during this time, from 534,000 tonnes to a projected 4.62 million tonnes. However, its share of national output fell from 71% to 23% as inland production grew more rapidly.
The trend has continued in recent years. Between 2019–20 and 2024–25, India’s total fish production grew at an average annual rate of 6.47%, according to the handbook. Inland fisheries recorded average annual growth of 7.69% over the period, compared with 3.05% for marine production. Total fish output is projected to have increased by 7.51% in 2024–25 alone.
Andhra Pradesh, on the east coast of southern India, remains the country’s leading fish-producing state, with a projected output of 5.54 million tonnes in 2024–25, representing approximately 28% of the national total. Most of this total, 4.89 million tonnes, came from inland sources.
West Bengal followed with projected production of 2.37 million tonnes, while Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Bihar were also among the largest inland-producing states.
Alongside traditional carp farming, the latest figures show India’s inland sector is becoming increasingly diverse, with growing production of exotic carps, catfish, murrels, tilapia, pangasius and shellfish.
Brackish-water aquaculture, particularly shrimp farming, is also a key sector for the country's blue economy, with frozen shrimp accounting for more than 70% of India’s marine product export earnings, according to the government statistics.
Fisher farmers select brooder fish from the net for breeding.
The Indian government is seeking to unlock further growth from the country’s inland waters, including approximately 3.2 million hectares of reservoirs and more than 68,000 village ponds created under the Amrit Sarovar programme, which develops and restores rural water bodies.
Reservoir fisheries were included under a national framework with scientific guidelines in the 2026–27 Budget for the first time, according to Minister of State for Fisheries S. P. Singh Baghel, speaking at a post-budget webinar in March.
At the same meeting, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for scientific mapping of reservoir potential, cluster-based planning and stronger links across the fisheries value chain, including hatcheries, feed, processing, branding, exports and logistics.
The Department of Fisheries is supporting the sector through funding for production and infrastructure, improved access to credit, and measures aiming to strengthen value chains and connect producers with markets.
Beyond its reservoirs and village ponds, India has around 1.2 million hectares of brackish water and 11,099 kilometres of coastline, which the government says provide further opportunities for fisheries and aquaculture development.