From Training Center to Rural Enterprise Hub: Assam’s Aquaculture Leap

Initially launched as an Aquaculture Field School in July 2021, the Sonapur facility quickly evolved into a full‑scale Aqua Tech Park, inaugurated by the state chief minister in July 2025. Partnerships with NABARD, ICAR‑CIFA and the Assam Fisheries Department have supplied funding and technical support.

Beyond demonstrations, the park provides a suite of services: skill workshops, research collaboration, innovation incubators and assistance for setting up farmer producer organisations (FPOs). So far, four FPOs and more than 350 aqua‑entrepreneurs have been nurtured.

Women’s self‑help groups are a focal point; over 3,050 groups have joined the programme, receiving training that enables them to manage fish farms or related agribusinesses.

The holistic model encourages participants not only to observe cutting‑edge techniques but also to launch their own ventures, turning aquaculture into a sustainable source of income for rural communities.