Developed an energy-efficient solar hybrid dryer with a biomass-based gasifier heat backup suitable for drying shrimps even during off-sunshine hours. In this dryer, water was utilized as a sensible heat storage (SHS) material as well as heat transfer fluid and biomass gasifier as an indirect backup heat source. The coconut shell was used as a biomass feedstock for the operation of a downdraft biomass gasifier to generate producer gas.