Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Tuesday, 30 June called for a time-bound strategy to position Gujarat as India's foremost inland fisheries hub, arguing the state's natural endowments offered significant untapped leverage for expanding the Blue Economy. His remarks came at the valedictory session of the fourth Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference in Vadodara.

The Case for Gujarat

Singh highlighted that Gujarat already holds one of India's longest coastlines and accounts for nearly one-third of the country's total saline water resources — a foundation he described as ideal for scaling shrimp production and allied industries. Yet, he noted, inland fisheries contribute only 2% of Gujarat's total fisheries exports, signalling what he called 'substantial scope for expansion.'

'Gujarat possesses not only a long coastline but also tremendous potential for inland fisheries,' Singh said. He pointed specifically to the state's numerous village ponds spread across several districts as underutilised assets that could meaningfully widen the inland fisheries base.

Technology and Infrastructure as Enablers

To bridge the gap between potential and output, the minister recommended wider adoption of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) in fisheries management, alongside stronger hatchery systems, expanded cold chain infrastructure, and improved transportation networks. He urged the state government, scientists, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders to converge on a coordinated action plan rather than pursue piecemeal efforts.

Conference Outcomes

The four-day conference concluded with investment proposals worth more than ₹3.34 lakh crore secured through 3,759 memoranda of understanding (MoUs), expected to generate over 1.97 lakh potential employment opportunities. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also addressed the concluding session. Additional Chief Secretary for Industries Mamta Verma presented an overview of the conference's planning, implementation, and outcomes. Artisans and entrepreneurs from various sectors were felicitated during the ceremony.

Broader National Vision

Singh framed the inland fisheries push as integral to the national goal of 'Viksit Bharat', arguing that unlocking Gujarat's fisheries potential would simultaneously drive state-level economic growth and contribute to India's broader Blue Economy ambitions. This comes amid a wider policy push by the Centre to diversify fisheries income beyond coastal and marine segments, where growth has historically been concentrated.

With the MoU pipeline in place and political will signalled at the highest levels, the focus now shifts to whether Gujarat can translate conference commitments into verifiable on-ground outcomes in inland fisheries.