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Fish is a super-food. It is one of the best sources of quality animal proteins besides the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially the omega-3 PUFAs EPA and DHA, and micronutrients. Blue revolution has made aquaculture one of the fastest growing food production sectors. The, ‘Blue food’ and ‘Blue economy’ holds a great promise for the future by providing food and nutritional security to the ever-growing world population. India being a highly populous country, there is a need for scaling-up of the f ish production for ensuring food and nutrition security and livelihood. After formation of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAD), the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India has taken several new initiatives for boosting up the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) is a big step in that direction. It is now realized that entrepreneurial approach is needed for taking f isheries and aquaculture to ‘industry scale’. Entrepreneurship is the ability and readiness to develop, organize and run a business enterprise, with all its uncertainties, to make it a profitable venture and the most prominent example of entrepreneurship is the starting of new businesses. It could be of any type; small business entrepreneurship, scalable start-up entrepreneurship, large company entrepreneurship, and social entrepreneurship. Keeping in view, the much desired need for entrepreneurship in fisheries and aquaculture, this book “Entrepreneurship Opportunities in Fisheries and Aquaculture” has been designed. The different sub-sectors including hatchery for fish breeding and culture, cage farming, pen culture, fish feed, ornamental fish and aquarium industry, dry-fish and fish processing sector, pearl culture, mariculture, aquaponics, fishing crafts and gears, sports fisheries and aquatourism, where there is a scope for entrepreneurial venture have been discussed to attract the bright minds with passion for entrepreneurship in aquaculture. There is a focus on entrepreneurship in fisheries and aquaculture. The book provides ideas on avenues in aquaculture for starting business enterprise. This is expected to be an ideal handbook for planners, aquaculture practitioners, funding agencies and Dreamers who are passionate about Industry-scale aquaculture.

1. Introduction India completed its 75 years of independence in the year 2022. Government of India celebrated the country’s journey across its 75 years of independence and its magnificent achievements during that period as ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The official journey of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav commenced as a 75-week long countdown from 12th March 2021 up to the 75th anniversary of India’s independence on 15th August 2022 and continued for a year beyond up to 15th August 2023. The Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was commemorated as a Jan-Utsav in the spirit of Jan-Bhagidari, which means, a public festival with public participation. The Hon’ble Government of India has, through this campaign envisioned the foundation of a self-reliant India and he said, “The Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav means elixir of energy of independence; elixir of inspirations of the warriors of freedom struggle; elixir of new ideas and pledges; and elixir of Aatmanirbharta. Therefore, this Mahotsav is a festival of awakening of the nation; festival of fulfilling the dream of good governance; and the festival of global peace and development”1. Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav paved way to envisage a vision for the country, set goals and realize where the country would be in 2047, when India marks 100 years of its independence. Government of India termed the journey from 75 years to 100 years, the next 25 years, as the “Amrit Kaal,” which means a most auspicious period to start a new venture, signifying that it’s a time to make resolutions and achieve them (Sankalp se Siddhi)2.

Introduction Where there is water, there is fish. India is country accounts 4.2 percent of global water and has competitive advantage in fisheries production. But, unfortunately the sector has been upholding the tag line of fishy (something unpleasant) in spite of its importance in food, income, society and health1. Even, the livelihood of backward communities near to the seashore and other water basins cannot be ignored and could be strengthened by enriching their life through fisheries sector development who will be a barricade for the intruders in future. Panigrahy & Nayak (2023) highlighted that sustainable Development Goal also emphasized upon the importance of fisheries in various segments like no poverty (SD 1), zero hunger (SD 2), good health and wellbeing (SD 3), gender equity (SD 5), responsible consumption and production (SD 12), and climate action (SD 13). Day by day the country has also improved its export share both in volume and value through fisheries that stimulate employment, investment, consumption, and future income of the people who integrate them with fisheries. However, fisheries in our country have been facing the tragedy of commons, conflicts, and loss of biodiversity due to target fishing in absence of effective market intelligence on which the complete business ecosystem of the stakeholders are revolving round through day and night. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its report highlighted that marine f isheries consumption suits the developed country whilst inland fisheries for developing and underdeveloped one according to the consumer surplus and disposal income is concerned (FAO,2014). Even growing consumer surplus also triggers protein consumption over carbohydrate that stimulates more fish consumption in future in our country as well. Study says, fish can be taken with rice as better lysine content of former compensate in diet of the consumer. In this juncture, fish as a functional food has an immense importance across the country where marine fisheries target to Southeast Asia, China, European country, Japan, and US and Inland fisheries find its customers in the national sphere2 (Panigrahy, Vahoniya & Kumar, 2017).

Introduction The Aquaculture and fisheries sector in India is a multi-disciplinary sector that provides food security, employment, economic gains, and socio-economic upliftment for those involved in fish exploitation, production, and processing. Sustainable fishing practices, improvements in fish breeding and husbandry technologies, along with the introduction of new species, have helped increase production levels through small-scale rural aquaculture, largely through governmental and non-government organizations.1Aquaculture and f isheries entrepreneurship are crucial for youth economic empowerment in India, providing and promoting sustainable development and employment opportunities within the fisheries sector. Technological advancements in aquaculture can enhance productivity, optimize resource utilization, minimize environmental impacts, and improve profitability. Aquaculture and fisheries entrepreneurship can promote environmental sustainability by adopting eco friendly practices and establishing strong market linkages. It has significant potential in rural areas where employment opportunities are limited, reducing migration and contributing to local economic growth. Government initiatives and policies that promote entrepreneurship, youth development, and sustainable fisheries are instrumental in supporting young individuals interested in aquaculture. Fisheries and aquaculture sector is highly diverse (Figure 1) and an important source of livelihood for about 28 million fishers and fish farmers in the country. India is the 3rd largest fish producing country with about 8% of global fish production. Globally, India stands 2nd in aquaculture production and is one of the top shrimp-producing and seafood-exporting nations. The fisheries sector in India has shown a sustained annual average growth rate of 8.61% for the 8-year period from 2014–15 to 2021–22 (at constant prices). The sector has reached a record fish production of 162.48 lakh tonnes in FY 2021–22 and has immense potential for growth.

Introduction Dried fish is a staple food for various communities and considered a ‘hidden’ sub-sector within small-scale fisheries. Dried fish defined broadly as aquatic animals preserved using simple techniques such as sun-drying, salting, fermentation, and smoking that permit storage as foods at ambient temperature for extended periods without specialized packaging (Belton et al., 2022). The nutritional quality of dried fish remains intact, sometimes retains higher quality standards compared to fresh fish (Faruque et al., 2012). Fish drying is an age old practice followed for preservation of fish. Over the years, it has grown from a subsistence occupation to a full flourishing business (Sanjeev et al., 2020). This traditional method is followed for the preservation of fish especially in rural areas (Chakrabarti and Varma, 1999). Drying method is considered as the least expensive method of fish preservation (Balachandran, 2001). Dried f ish attracts greater demand during fishing ban period or lean seasons, as the fresh fish availability is relatively low (Das et al., 2013). Dry fishes are used as food and the deteriorated Dried fish business can play an important role in the national economy in multiple ways including minimizing post-harvest losses of fish providing a source of animal protein, enlarging livelihoods, utilizing idling labor into the production process and as a dish, especially for rural poor (Wickrama et al., 2021). Dry fish marketing chain begins with a farmer (dry fish producer) and concludes with the final consumer with several intermediaries in between. These marketing middlemen provide services for producing, assembling, loading, packaging and transporting dry fish, resulting in cost increase at every stage of marketing processing (Mallick et al., 2022). Dried f ish are usually low in price, easily divisible and can be stored and transported for accessibility by the poorest and most vulnerable communities throughout the year. Dried fish can therefore play a vital role in nutrition security. In India, dry fishes are widely sold at local markets and commercially important species are also exported to other countries (Immaculate et al., 2013). Dry fish are used for production of poultry/fish feed. Today, dried fish products business provide employment for millions of people, particularly women, who are the majority of the fish- drying workforce in many locations (Belton et al., 2022).

Introduction Fisheries is a fast-growing and important sector for providing nutritional security and supporting livelihood in many countries. The global fish production currently stands at 179.9mt with a contribution of 112mt from marine and 65.43mt from inland sector (FAO, 2022). India is no exception to this; fisheries provide nutritious food and livelihood to millions. Our country ranks second in the world next to China in total fish production and aquaculture production. It contributes 14.7% to world fish production. Currently, fisheries is one of the fastest growing food production sectors in India with annual growth rate of 10.34% and annual production of 16.25mt. It contributes 1.1% to the national GDP, 6.7% to the agricultural GDP and provide livelihood to about 14 million. The inland fisheries and aquaculture contribute 12.12mt to the total fish production (DAHDF, 2023). Fish production in India has gradually and definitively shifted from marine to inland fish production due to the rapid growth of the inland fisheries sector. Aquaculture development, including refinement of production protocols, introduction of new species and culture system, concomitant growth in input supply (seed, feed, medicine and chemicals), emphasis on education, training and skill development, intensive network of extension system and policy support has led to a notable increase of inland aquaculture, which currently contributes to more than 70% of inland fish production of the country. In addition, high profits in aquaculture coupled with limited water and land resources have led to system intensification using high rearing density and high protein feeds to boost productivity in closed or semi-closed systems (Zaki et al., 2020). In order to reduce mounting pressure on land resources, vis-a-vis to meet the country’s fish demand, the production must come from comparatively under-exploited fisheries resources through technological interventions. India has abundant and diverse inland aquatic resources with huge fisheries potential (Sharma et al., 2010). Reservoirs are the most important and potential inland water resources (3.5mha) that can play a major role in boosting fish production in the country. However, the recent scrutiny shows the average fish yield from this mega resource is 110kgha-1 (Sarkar et al., 2018).

Introduction With the growing population of the country and the increasing requirements for f ish protein, the need for sustainable development of the post-harvest fisheries sector is now felt much more than ever before. Fish and fishery products serve as a part of a balanced diet because fish is known to be an excellent source of proteins, essential fatty acids, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and many useful trace elements such as selenium and iodine. Especially, Omega-3(n-3) fatty acids such as DHA and EPA are plenty in fish, contribute significantly for the functioning of vital organs viz heart, brain, immune and reproductive systems. Over the years the demand for fish is on the rise all over the world due to such health benefits. The harvest and post-harvest handling, processing and distribution of fish provide livelihood for millions of people as well as provide valuable foreign exchange earnings. India’s scale, its large and growing population and its over 500 million strong labour force pose a daunting challenge to job creation. The rising population in India is also accompanied by the rise of unemployment in all the sectors. Indian economy is also being hampered due to this problem. Meanwhile, it is also not possible for any government to create job for all. Probably, the solution of this burning problem is to encourage and support entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is a dynamic process of creating incremental wealth and impact, and entrepreneurs are people that notice opportunities and take the initiative to mobilize resources to make new goods and services. Over the years, entrepreneurship has played a vital role in shaping the Indian economy, and it is set to play an even more important role in the future. Startups and small businesses are often more nimble and able to adapt to changing market conditions, which allows them to bring new products and services to market more quickly. The government has introduced a number of programs and initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, such as the Start-Up India program and the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.

Introduction The development of ornamental fish and aquarium industry in India could be divided into three phases i.e., pre-juvenile, juvenile and post juvenile phase. The period, since independence till the beginning of the 21st century was the pre-juvenile phase of ornamental fish and aquarium industry. It was characterised by few numbers of aquarium shops mainly in metro and major cities of the country, availability of limited varieties of fish and aquarium products, high cost of products, very few number of hobbyists and lack of any institutional support. The ornamental fish and aquarium industry during this period had developed because of the individual efforts of ornamental f ish producers and aquarium traders. The total value of domestic aquarium trade was Rs. 55 crores, the export of ornamental fish from country was Rs. 1.74 crores (US$ 0.40 million) during 1999-2000 and aquarium keeping was known to be the hobby of rich only. The span of juvenile phase was from the beginning of the 21st century to the year 2019-20. The hobby of aquarium keeping grew significantly during this period as about 1.25% of the urban house-hold were estimated to keep an aquarium at home or workplace. It was because availability of aquarium and aquarium accessories increased in the domestic market due to entry of Chinese products, the cost of fish and aquarium products reduced, the number of aquarium shops increased with existence even up to small cities and most importantly the availability of institutional support. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, started providing financial assistance from 2006-07 to beneficiaries to set up ornamental fish production units. The schemes of MPEDA initially covered the coastal states of Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal and later inland states of Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. A total of 579 ornamental fish production units of different grades were established in all these states but the scheme was closed in the year 2014 15. It was followed by another pilot project implemented by National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal husbandry and Dairying, Government of India (GOI) with a proposed investment of Rs. 61.98 crores. It covered six coastal states namely Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, an inland state Bihar and one hilly state of Assam from north-east. The total value of domestic aquarium trade was about Rs. 555 crores during 2019-20 and the export of ornamental fish from country was Rs. 10.84 crores. The aquarium keeping was known to be the hobby of common man now.

Introduction Culture of aquatic organisms is a significant economic endeavor that benefits millions of people worldwide by generating employment opportunities and ensuring food security. One of the lucrative aquaculture ventures in many countries is the cultivation of freshwater pearls. Prior to the development of cultured pearl farming, pearls were harvested from the Gulf of Mannar, the region between India and Sri Lanka, the Bay of Bengal, the Egyptian coast (Red Sea), and the Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabian coast) (Matlins 2001; Strack 2008), which benefited the nation’s economy. However, the natural pearl fisheries have been depleted as a result of indiscriminate fishing, habitat destruction, and pollution. Realizing its economic significance, pearl farming has developed into a successful aquaculture activity to support the nation’s aqua-economy through innovation and standardization of farming techniques. Pearls are cultured in both marine and freshwater environments, and they are particularly created in bivalves with an inner nacreous layer. Many countries like China, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Mexico are major pearl producing countries through farming (Gervis and Sims 1992; Southgate 2007; Southgate et al. 2008 & Saurabh et al. 2021). In addition to the economic benefit like other bivalves these pearl producing mussels has positive environmental impact and also has several nutritional benefits. Freshwater bivalves including these pearl mussels are widely used in aquaculture for aquaculture-effluent treatment of aquaculture farms. The shells of bivalves are the source of two highly versatile chemical compounds, calcium carbonate or calcium oxide which is having wide industrial applications. The shells are used in cosmetics and traditional medicine, handicraft and jewelry. These economic and environmental benefits have catalyzed expansion of the bivalve aquaculture industry in various regions of world. During 2009 to 2018 the average freshwater pear cultured production was 1928 tonne while China continued to dominate world freshwater pearl culture (FAO, 2020). However, the freshwater pearl culture production has declined from 3321 tonne in 2009 to 703 tonne in 2018. This drastic decline may be due to overexploitation, habitat degradation, pollution, lack of proper management and many more and it has threatened long term sustainability of fisheries and this farming sector. It gives an alarming call for all fisheries managers and policy makers to formulate management measures to implement for the betterment of the sector. Though this farming technology has a great potential to increase the aqua economy of the country, growth should be sustainable.

Introduction Ornamental fishes have been recognized as the important avenue for the income and employment generation in the country. The economic activities of ornamental fish culture involve a complete chain of the entrepreneurs and enterprises i.e. fish collectors from natural water bodies, local traders, exporters, manufacturers of the aquarium, fish breeders, ornamental fish farmers, vendors etc. With the increase in income and urbanization, the habit of keeping ornamental fishes has been increasing at rapid pace. However, there are no consitenet markets for Indian ornamental fish and a regular fluctuation with respect to destinations is reported since the geographical spread of the markets has exhibited an ever changing hue. The top markets of ornamental f ish from India are Singapore, USA, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Japan, which jointly accounted for about 70% of total India ornamental fish export. Amongst them Singapore alone accounts for almost 43% of total export in ornamental f ishes followed by Japan (14%) and Malaysia (10%). USA and Hong Kong both accounted for 7.5% each. However, contribution of India in world market is negligible. In India, the main objectives of ornamental fisheries are employment generation, women empowerment and earning foreign exchange. Keeping the imense potential of ornamental fish trade in mind the sector is identified as one of the thrust areas for development to augment exports in the country. To prosper any trade there are three pre-requisites called sustainability, quality and quantity.Potential natural resources of indigenous ornamental f ish of high value in the country has greatly contributed in development of ornamental fish industry.It provides enhanced cash income and thus provides better living standards for those involved in the trade. About 400 species of marine ornamental fish and 375 freshwater ornamental varities are available in varoius parts of our country. The domestic trade of ornamental fish is mainly dominated by production and marketing of low value ornamental fish like Gold fish, Koi carp, Sharks, Gourami, Angels, Barbs, Live bearers etc. The retail prices for these fishes vary around INR 15-50 each. The sustainable growth in this segment is possible through captive breeding to ensure a constant supply of hatchery-bred young ones to the global markets round the year. Breeding and culture of ornamental fish can be a promising alternative livelihood for women and unemplyed youth. The key factors for success in commercialization of ornamental fish farming are cluster/group approach in farming with wide species variability, production scale, and quality. The price competitiveness is limiting the middlemen to possible extent in the marketing and overcoming the supply or delivery limitations. Recognizing the potential and possibilities, Government of India has envisaged a program to unlock the country’s ornamental fisheries sector through implementing different activities in this sector. Implementation of Ornamental Fisheries on pilot basis, in its scope and reach, focuses mainly on creating an enabling environment for a sustainable and holistic development and management of ornamental fisheries for the socio-economic benefit & development of ornamental fisheries in India. Thrust areas have been identified for enhancing ornamental fish production through farming and conservation of natural resources through habitat restoration and creating mass awareness amongst the stakeholders.

Introduction The global aquaculture production in 2020 was recorded at 122.6 million tonnes, aquatic animals contributing 87.5 million tonnes and algae 35.1 million tonnes, with a total value of USD 281.5 billion. About one-third of this production comes from farming of the marine species. Asian countries dominated the world aquaculture by producing 91.6 % of the total (FAO, 2022). With 14.16 million metric tonnes production in 2019-20, India is the world’s second-largest aquaculture producer next to China, accounting for 7.56 % of global production. It contributes about 1.24 % to the country’s GVA and over 7.28 % to the agricultural GVA. During 2019-20, India has exported 12.89 lakh metric tons of fisheries products valued at Rs.46, 662/- crores (USD 6.68 billion). The major farmed species in India are the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and Indian Major Carps (IMC). While issues related to freshwater scarcity and pollution will slow the growth of freshwater aquaculture in coming years, mariculture has been identified as an area of high growth opportunity. Globally, an estimated two billion people suffer from micronutrient malnutrition and one billion calorie deficient. Thus, providing adequate nutrition to the growing population is a global challenge. Fish currently provides 17% of the world’s animal protein, and exceeds 50% in the diets of many least-developed countries (FAO, 2022). One of the most documented nutritional benefits of seafood is the health benefits of unsaturated fatty acids in marine fish and their contribution to brain development, metabolic function, and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Seafood also provides essential micronutrients that promote support growth and development, especially in children and pregnant women (FAO, 2022). The proportion of fish eating people in India has been grown from 27.7% in 1987-88 to 50 % in 2015-16. The annual per capita consumption of fish for the entire population was estimated at 5-6 kg, whereas for fish eating population it was found to be 8-9 kg (Shyam, 2016). Assessment of the present trend shows that to meet the increasing demands from the domestic consumers and to cater to the export market, fish production has to come mostly from marine sector only. It is therefore considered that mariculture is the only option for production enhancement from marine sector.

Introduction Trout farming is considered as one of the oldest forms of commercial fish production and dates back to 400 years in Europe and about 150 years in US (Hinshaw, 1990). In India, the upper Himalayan region and Western Ghats are the areas where trout culture and farming are restricted due to suitable climatic conditions. The UT of J&K, especially Kashmir region plays a major role towards trout culture, thus being major contributor of trout as well. In Kashmir, the introduction of trout started in the year 1899 with the arrival of first batch of Brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) ova of 10,000 eyed eggs from England (UK). This introduction of trout eggs to Kashmir was assisted by the Duke of Bedford. Woefully, this batch of 10,000 eggs expired on the way due to the unavailability of air transport. Then, the second batch of trout ova arrived in the year 1900 in a magnificent condition from Howeiton in Scotland, assisted by Mr. J.S. Macdonall consisting of 1800 fry. Out of these 1000 swim-up fry were successfully reared up to the adulthood and the first spawning or eggtaking of Salmo trutta fario, was done in December 1905 at Harwan near Srinagar (Kashmir) by F. J. Mitchell and rest of 800 fry were reared at his personal residence in Bhag - i - Dilawar Khan in the heart of city near Khankah-i-Moula. In 1905-1906, Mitchell succeeded in establishing a regular Trout Hatchery at Harwan Srinagar Kashmir, having a capacity of 100,000 green eggs. Since then brown trout has established itself throughout the Kashmir and parts of Jammu notably in Baderwah and Poonch providing f ly and spoon fishing year after year to thousands of anglers visiting the state.It was from Kashmir that brown trout spread to other sections of the Himalayas. In 1912, Mitchell succeeded in hatching and rearing rainbow trout eggs from a consignment presented to him by the Bristol Water Works England. Today J&K Fisheries Department has achieved remarkable success in trout culture (Hassan and Pandey 2012). In the year 1984, Trout Fish Farming Project was established at Kokernag under cold water fisheries by the assistance of European Economic Community, serving as mother unit for the production of quality seed of Rainbow trout and Brown trout.This project provided a major thrust to the trout fisheries in the UT of J&K from last two decades.Besides this, there is another trout hatchery at Laribal Srinagar where quality trout seed of rainbow trout and brown trout is being produced (Hassan and Pandey 2012).

Introduction One of the greatest challenges facing the world is how to meet the nutritional needs of a growing human population that is projected to hit 10 billion by 2050. To meet the additional food demands imposed by the nearly 30% population increase, global food production has to increase by as much as 50% (FAO, 2017). This problem is further multiplied due to the imminent threat of an acute shortage of space to grow food, degradation of arable land, limited resources, climate change etc. in traditional ways (Yang and Kim, 2020). Between 1984 and 2016, India faced depletion of arable land at a rate of 0.12 % per year, which means we are left with land to live on, but shortage of food. Hence, to tackle these problems, there is a need to adopt intensive, environmentally friendly, multidimensional and sustainable food production systems like aquaponics (Dijkgraaf et al., 2019). Aquaponics is a sustainable method of growing fish, and vegetables as well as f lowers (Mohapatra et al., 2020). It is becoming quite popular with individuals as well as commercial farming entrepreneurs, and governments interested in modern farming for year-round food production in different climatic conditions. Moreover, with this type of versatile farming, we can grow considerably more food with less water, land and labour than the traditional farming systems.

Fisheries: A glance The fisheries sector is a complex enterprise that includes capture and culture based fisheries, including mariculture, coastal aquaculture, freshwater aquaculture, and cold-water fish culture that contribute to the country’s food, health, economy, exports, employment, and tourism. Fisheries and aquaculture continue to provide millions of people with food, nutrition, revenue, and a means of subsistence. Fish is an inexpensive and high-quality source of animal protein, making it an excellent choice for reducing hunger and malnutrition in the country. In 2020, global aquaculture production reached a new high of 122.6 million tonnes, including 87.5 million tonnes of aquatic animals valued at USD 264.8 billion. Inland aquaculture produced 54.4 million tonnes, while marine and coastal aquaculture made 68.1 million tonnes. Over time, the Indian fishing industry evolved and became a significant socioeconomic asset for the country (FAO, SOFIA, 2022) India is the world’s third-largest producer of fish and aquaculture, accounting around 16% of total inland and 5% of total marine fish production. In 2021 22. The overall marine and inland fish production in India was 162. 48 lakh tonnes, with 121.21 lakh tonnes and 41.27 lakh tonnes coming from the inland and marine sectors, respectively. The fishing industry is vital to the national economy and is a major contributor to the country’s foreign exchange gains. India’s fish production has risen from 56.56 lakh tonnes in 2000-01 to 162.48 lakh tonnes in 2021-22.The majority of fish produced is for human consumption, and this proportion is predicted to increase from 89% in the base year (2016-18) to 91% by 2028 (OECD/FAO, 2019). In 2021-22, frozen f ish, cuttlefish, and squid contributed 6%, 3%, and 5% of total marine product export value, respectively.

Introduction Aquaculture has emerged as a viable business model having high growth potential for the entrepreneurs and start-ups in India. The rate of adoption of the aqua-business models for new age entrepreneurs has been very high in recent times. Some of the viable business models that are technology based and scalable have been attractive to the entrepreneurs are in the indoor aquaculture system like RAS, Biofloc systems. It offers many advantages like low space requirements, easy monitoring, higher level of intensification, easy management, short supply chain to the urban markets etc. These indoor aquaculture system are broadly defined as peri-urban aquaculture system offering high growth potential to the entreprenuers in India. The chapter provides a broad outline of the opportunities and recent trends of entrepreneurial developments through peri-urban aquaculture. Entrepreneurship is the risk taking ability and readiness to venture into a new economic enterprise, along with all its challenges in order to make profit. One of the examples of entrepreneurship is the starting of new businesses in any field with business potential. In other words, entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value (Diochon et al. 2011; Gaddefors et al. 2017; Alvarez, et al. 2001). It is also viewed as a change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values than simply economic ones. A person gets the benefits as he invests in one or more businesses, bearing most of the risks and availing most of the rewards. According to Shane (2000), entrepreneurship comprises both “enterprising individuals” and “entrepreneurial opportunities”[4]. An entrepreneur is generally seen as an innovator, a source of innovative ideas, services, and business.

Introduction The Himalayan and peninsular regions of India comprise of diverse coldwater resources in terms of upland rivers, fast flowing streams, high, mid and low altitude natural lakes and reservoirs (Singh and Akhtar, 2015; Singh and Sarma, 2017; Sarma et al, 2018). The Indus, the Brahmaputra and the Ganga basins in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is a domicile of over 4 % of the country’s population having rich repository of biodiversity, a natural habitat of over 8000 species of flowering plants, 816 tree species, 675 edibles, nearly 1740 species of medicinal plants and about 258 species of fish (Singh and Akhtar, 2015; Pramanik and Bhaduri, 2016; Singh and Sarma, 2017). IHR mainly encompasses the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh where the diverse natural resource-base and wide climatic range, harbour huge inhabitants of endemic, indigenous and exotic coldwater fish species extending an enormous scope of developing upland farming practices (Singh and Sarma, 2017; Singh, 2020), game and ornamental f isheries of large extent (Zaidi et al., 2018). These can provide an excellent opportunities for augmenting livelihood security of upland people residing in the Himalayan terrain, where opportunities to earn revenue is difficult and hard to adopt the farming practices. Today, the Himalayan states offer a unique value proposition in coldwater fisheries to harness its potential. There is an increasing trend of coldwater fish production from the present level of 52,084 MT to 90 thousand MT by FY 2024-25 boosting current productivity from ~1 ton/ha to 3 ton/ha. Coldwater fisheries in the country is now occupying a key place among India’s freshwater fishes, contributing significantly to the nutritional security and job creation in rural hilly areas. More than 1.40 lakh fishermen in India directly depend on coldwater fisheries in hilly areas. In Himalayan region, aquaculture and fisheries represent an essential, often irreplaceable source of high quality animal protein crucial to the balance of diets in marginally food secure communities. The aquatic resources in the IHR are quite valuable for the development of aquaculture and fishery for food, sport, recreation and employment. In this paper, the author has attempted to present possible opportunities in coldwater aquaculture and fisheries which has great promises of future for job creation and nutritional security.

Introduction Aquaculture and Fisheries remain important sources of food, nutrition, income, and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people around the world including in India. Total fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record of 214 million tonnes in 2020, comprising 178 million tonnes of aquatic animals and 36 million tonnes of algae (FAO 2022). Global aquaculture production continued to grow amid the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global aquaculture production consisted of; 87.5 million tonnes of aquatic animals predominantly used as food for human consumption; 35.1 million tonnes of seaweeds and other micro-algae for both food and non-food uses. Global consumption of aquatic foods has increased significantly. In 2019, global aquatic food consumption was estimated at 158 million tonnes and consumption increased at an average annual rate of 3.0 percent from 1961, compared with a population growth rate of 1.6 percent. In India, the total fish production during the year 20-21 is estimated at 14.73 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) with a contribution of 11.25 MMT from the inland sector and 3.48 MMT from the marine sector. The fisheries sector contributes about 1.24% to the gross value added (GVA) and 7.28% to the agricultural GVA. In India, the changing consumer preferences, advancements in technology and income growth are the real drivers that augur well for further expansion and demand of food from aquatic origin. Against this backdrop, this sector is poised for unprecedented growth and opening various avenues of entrepreneurship.

Introduction Fisheries and Aquaculture remains to be an important source of food, nutrition, income, and livelihood to millions of people. Fish is an affordable and good source of animal protein, a good option to reduce hunger and malnutrition in the country. India has bountiful resources comprising inland, brackish and marine water along with diverse fish and shellfish species. Indian Fisheries sector evolved gradually over the years and became an important socio economic attribute for the nation. India is the third-largest fish and aquaculture producing country and accounts for about 16% of total inland and 5% of total global marine fish production respectively. In 2021-22, India’s total marine and inland fish production stood at 16.24 million metric tonne (MMT), which includes 12.12 MMT and 4.13 MMT from inland and marine sectors, respectively. The annual growth rate in the marine sector was observed at around 18.7 %, whereas inland sector achieved more than 7.76 % during 2021 22 ( Table 17.1).The fishery potential of the country has been estimated to the tune of 22.31 MMT out of which Marine fisheries potential is 5.31 MMT and Inland fishery potential is 17 MMT. (Table 17.3). Marine fisheries activities are spread along the country’s long coastline (8118 km) and in the vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ 2.02 million km2). The inland resources are in the form of rivers and canals (0.19 million km), f loodplain lakes (1.0 million ha), ponds and tanks (2.43 million ha), reservoirs (3.15 million ha), brackish water (1.18 million ha), saline/alkaline affected areas (0.24 million ha), and such others etc., covering about 9 million ha, providing livelihood to 16 million (Table 17.2). In this direction sea cage culture may play an important role in rapid expansion of seafood production at global level. In present scenario, due to limited availability of fish fingerling we may not expand sea cage culture to the optimum level. Therefore, need of hour is to strengthen the available infrastructure and other needed backward and forward support system enhancing for fish seed production apart from developing market linkages with diversification of species.

I always feel I am very lucky and got a chance to live in this beautiful God gifted planet by blessings of God and whatever God fixed for me I am trying my best to do so that I can fulfil my journey and reach to my destine and finally will back to the same place where I came. My father was a Botany Lecturer, he retired from his job in the year 2009 and my Mother is a house wife. I have one brother and two sisters. All are married now and me my misses, my son (Calyx) staying at my native village with my parents after I came back from Indian Agricultural research Institute and my brother and two sisters are staying at Bhubaneswar. I have a very small family staying happily at my village. I have completed my schooling at my village school which is just 1 km away from my home. My village Garh Guatira is belongs to Nimapara block of Puri district of Odissha and it is just 50 km away from Bhubaneswar. My village is very small which is surrounded by agriculture field specially 90% area is under rice cultivation. So I spent my childhood with my natural village climate and maximum time I spent in the village surroundings with its natural activities. I got first class in Botany (Hons) with distinction from the Nimapara college and it was one of the best moments for me, at least one step I moved towards my destination.