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Technology
Kochi Innovators Transform Mud-Crab Farming with Inland‑Ready Tech, Earn ₹10 Lakh Grant
✍️ TOI City
🗓 20 Aug 2026, 06:41 PM
👁 5
Two postgraduates from Kochi have developed a technology that eliminates cannibalism and removes the need for brackish water, enabling mud‑crab farming in inland areas. The breakthrough earned them a national award and a ₹10 lakh grant.
Two postgraduates from the University of Kerala, based in Kochi, tackled a long‑standing problem in mud‑crab aquaculture: cannibalism and the dependence on brackish water. Their new system uses a specially designed tank and a bio‑filter that mimics natural conditions, allowing crabs to thrive in fresh water and reducing inter‑crab aggression. The prototype was tested in a pilot farm and showed a 40 % increase in survival rates.
The breakthrough attracted the attention of the National Innovation Foundation, which awarded the team a ₹10 lakh grant for scaling the technology. The funding will help them build a commercial production line and train farmers.
Experts say the technology could open up premium crab farming to inland regions across India, where brackish water is scarce. By making the practice more accessible, the startup could boost incomes for thousands of small‑scale fishers and diversify the country’s aquaculture sector.
The breakthrough attracted the attention of the National Innovation Foundation, which awarded the team a ₹10 lakh grant for scaling the technology. The funding will help them build a commercial production line and train farmers.
Experts say the technology could open up premium crab farming to inland regions across India, where brackish water is scarce. By making the practice more accessible, the startup could boost incomes for thousands of small‑scale fishers and diversify the country’s aquaculture sector.