Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, on Monday inaugurated the Smart Green Aquaculture Farm and Research Institute along with a state-of-the-art Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) facility at Kandukur Mandal in Ranga Reddy district of Telangana.
The inauguration was attended by Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Minority Affairs George Kurian; Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Panchayati Raj Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel; and Telangana Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Vakiti Srihari.
The facility marks the launch of India’s first commercial-scale tropical RAS-based Rainbow Trout Aquaculture Farm and Research Institute, representing a significant milestone in the country’s aquaculture sector. The project demonstrates that high-value cold-water species such as rainbow trout can be farmed throughout the year in tropical climates using advanced engineering, controlled biological systems and efficient water recirculation technologies. The initiative challenges the long-held belief that premium aquaculture species are restricted to specific climatic zones, highlighting technology as the key driver of aquaculture viability.
In addition to production, the project will serve as a live training and demonstration platform, providing youth with hands-on exposure to advanced aquaculture practices, automation and biosecurity systems, thereby strengthening skilled manpower in the fisheries sector.
Earlier in the day, the Union Minister chaired the 12th Annual General Meeting of the Governing Body of the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) at Hyderabad. During the meeting, Haryana Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Animal Husbandry and Dairying Shyam Singh Rana handed over documents for the transfer of five acres of land in Sultanpur village, Gurugram district, for the establishment of the Northern Regional Centre of NFDB. The proposed centre aims to boost aquaculture development across inland states of northern India.
