8 September 2026, Kochi
ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi, has launched KSHITIJ 2.0 – The Blue Horizon Cohort, a national-level start-up incubation and mentorship programme aimed at nurturing innovative ideas, early-stage start-ups and technology-driven enterprises in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The programme was launched through a virtual inaugural session on 8 September 2026.
A key feature of KSHITIJ 2.0 is its extensive outreach across the country. Eight participating ICAR fisheries institutes, with ICAR-CIFT as the hub institute, organised 35 boot camps, resulting in the onboarding of 270 applicants from diverse domains of fisheries and aquaculture. The participation highlights the growing entrepreneurial interest in developing innovative solutions for the sector.
The programme will provide two months of virtual incubation during September–October 2026, followed by four months of need-based physical incubation, pilot testing, field validation and mentoring for selected participants. The programme will offer expert guidance in areas such as aquaculture, fishing and post-harvest technologies, value addition, waste utilisation, fish health, aquafeed, cold chain and packaging, along with business development, regulatory compliance, marketing and intellectual property rights.
Under the CIFTEQ Ideathon, selected participants will have the opportunity to pitch their business proposals for funding and incubation support through the Matsya Fisheries Incubation Centre (Matsya FIC). The top eight proposals will receive acceleration funding of ₹4 lakh each, while the next 20 proposals will receive seed funding of ₹50,000 each. In addition, 40 selected proposals will be offered free incubatee registration.
The programme was inaugurated by Dr K. Mohammed Koya, Fisheries Development Commissioner, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India. Dr George Ninan, Director, ICAR-CIFT, presided over the session.
Dr Shubhadeep Ghosh, Assistant Director General, Marine Fisheries, ICAR, and Dr Neeru Bhooshan, Assistant Director General, Intellectual Property and Technology Management, ICAR, attended the programme as Guests of Honour.
KSHITIJ 2.0 is an initiative of the Intellectual Property and Technology Management Unit, ICAR, and ICAR-CIFT. It is being implemented through the Zonal Technology Management–Agribusiness Incubation Centre under the NAIF Plan Scheme of ICAR and the Matsya Fisheries Incubation Centre at ICAR-CIFT under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
ICAR-CIFT is implementing the programme in collaboration with ICAR-CIFA, Bhubaneswar; ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai; ICAR-CIBA, Chennai; ICAR-CMFRI, Kochi; ICAR-CIFRI, Barrackpore; ICAR-CICFR, Bhimtal; and ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow, providing a nationwide institutional network to support innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship in fisheries and aquaculture.
(Source: ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Kochi)
Like on Facebook
Subscribe on Youtube
Follow on X X
Like on instagram