India is set to mark a major milestone in aquaculture with the inauguration of its first commercial-scale tropical rainbow trout farm in Hyderabad on Monday. Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh will inaugurate the facility on January 5.

The Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)-based rainbow trout farm and research institute has been established by Smart Green Aquaculture Ltd at Kandukur Mandal in Ranga Reddy district of Telangana. The project demonstrates that high-value cold-water species such as rainbow trout can be farmed throughout the year in tropical regions using advanced water recirculation, precision engineering and temperature control technologies.

Officials said the project challenges the long-held belief that premium aquaculture species are restricted to specific climatic zones. Instead, it establishes technology as the key driver of aquaculture viability, opening new opportunities for diversification in fish farming across warmer regions of the country.

Apart from commercial production, the facility will also function as a live training and demonstration centre. It will offer hands-on exposure to youth and entrepreneurs in advanced aquaculture systems, automation, biosecurity protocols and sustainable farming practices, supporting skill development and employment generation.

The inauguration comes at a time when the Centre has significantly increased investments in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Since 2015, cumulative investments of Rs 38,572 crore have been approved or announced under various schemes to boost production, infrastructure and technology adoption.

Cold-water fisheries are emerging as a high-growth segment due to rising domestic demand, expanding export potential and increasing focus on sustainable aquaculture. Traditionally, trout farming has been concentrated in Himalayan and hill states such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

The Department of Fisheries has expanded rainbow trout hatcheries, achieving annual production of around 14 lakh trout seeds, creating local livelihoods and supporting cluster-based development in several cold-water regions.