Is tilapia the next big idea for boosting India's aquaculture sector?

Rising demand, export potential, ease of production have turned the focus on the humble tilapia

Long considered a poor cousin of its more illustrious rivals such as rohu, catla and mrigal, the humble ‘tilapia’ is gradually acquiring a prominent place in India’s aquaculture story because of its huge export potential and burgeoning domestic demand.

According to a recent report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and WorldFish, titled ‘Business Case for Scaling the Production of Tilapia in India’, the country would need an investment of around Rs 5,023 crore over the next 10 years to reach its desired tilapia production level of 0.766 million tonnes by 2027 and 2.155 million tonnes by 2032.

Currently,