In a significant development for India's aquaculture sector, a Hyderabad-based startup has inaugurated the country's first inland, premium trout farming facility. SmartGreen Aquaculture (SGA) has established this pioneering project in Kandukur mandal of Ranga Reddy district, Telangana, on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
A Pioneering Facility with Sustainable Tech
The facility represents an initial investment of $6 million (approximately Rs 54 crore). It is built on the sustainable Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) technology. This advanced system allows for year-round trout production within a controlled, biosecure indoor environment, overcoming traditional geographical limitations for cold-water fish.
The farm is designed for a total production capacity of 1200 metric tonnes per annum and is expected to create approximately 200 jobs. The integrated setup includes a dedicated two-acre hatchery, an indoor grow-out system operated under RAS, on-site processing units for value-added rainbow trout products, cold-chain storage, and an online store for direct-to-consumer delivery.
Ministerial Praise and Future Plans
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj, Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh), inaugurated the first phase. He hailed the project as a shining example of innovation in India's startup ecosystem. The minister likened SGA's feat of farming cold-water trout in the warmer Deccan Plateau climate to "extracting oil from sand." He emphasized that RAS technology can significantly boost production and create high-value products with great export potential.
Union Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy also commended the project, stating that such innovations cultivating specialized fish in warmer inland regions reflect a promising future for Indian aquaculture.
Beyond trout farming, SGA has ambitious expansion plans. The company intends to set up a flexi-scale premium microalgae biorefinery on the campus and establish a skill centre dedicated to RAS technology.
Founder's Vision: Bringing Trout Closer to Consumers
Aditya Rithvik Narra, the 31-year-old engineer-turned-aquaculture entrepreneur and Founder & Managing Director of SmartGreen Aquaculture, explained the breakthrough. "Trout farming in India has traditionally been limited by geography," he said. "Our precision-engineered trout farm demonstrates that advanced closed-loop water system aquaculture technologies using RAS successfully bring premium cold-water species like rainbow trout closer to Indian consumers."
He further highlighted the integrated model's benefits: "By integrating hatcheries, farming, processing, and e-commerce under one roof, we are reducing dependence on imports and intermediaries." This end-to-end approach aims to secure the supply chain and make premium trout more accessible across the country.
The launch of this facility marks a transformative step for India's aquaculture industry, showcasing how technology can redefine agricultural possibilities and contribute to economic growth, job creation, and food security.
