The ICAR–Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi, has launched “KSHITIJ 2.0 – The Blue Horizon Cohort,” a national-level start-up incubation and mentorship programme for the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The programme was launched through a virtual inaugural session today with the aim of supporting innovative ideas, early-stage start-ups and technology-driven enterprises through scientific mentoring, business support and technology validation.
35 Boot Camps Held Across India; 270 Applicants Onboarded
A major highlight of KSHITIJ 2.0 is the strong response from the fisheries and aquaculture community across the country. The eight participating ICAR fisheries institutes, with ICAR-CIFT as the hub institute, conducted 35 boot camps across India, through which 270 applicants from diverse fisheries and aquaculture domains have been onboarded into the programme. The strong participation reflects the growing interest among entrepreneurs, innovators and start-ups in developing technology-driven solutions for the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The programme will include 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. Expert sessions will cover areas including 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.
As part of KSHITIJ 2.0, the CIFTEQ Ideathon will provide selected participants with an opportunity to pitch their business proposals for funding and incubation support through the 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, New Delhi. 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, addressed the gathering as Guests of Honour.
An initiative of the Intellectual Property and Technology Management Unit, ICAR, and ICAR-CIFT, KSHITIJ 2.0 is 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 serves as the hub institute 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.
Dr. C. O. Mohan, Principal Investigator, ZTM-ABI Centre, ICAR-CIFT, and Dr. Remya S., Co-Principal Investigator, also spoke during the inaugural session.
