Aquaconnect, a full-stack aquaculture platform with embedded fintech that uses satellite remote sensing and artificial intelligence to enable market linkage for stakeholders in the fish and shrimp farming industry, Thursday announced its strategic expansion into West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh as part of strengthening its domestic presence. Aquaconnect also expanded its AquaPartner network by 4X in the last 15 months, the company said.
AquaPartners are rural entrepreneurs who provide last-mile assistance to the fish farmers such as farm advisory, access to feed and other farm inputs in the farm vicinity. One Aquapartner can assist around 100 aqua farmers.
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“Aquaconnect’s foray into two new markets – West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, fortifies its presence across six major aquaculture production states including Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Gujarat. This move is in line with Aquaconnect’s goal of optimising its service offerings to enable market access for fisheries farmers to purchase innovative farm input brands and grow stronger in the pre-harvest aquaculture value chain by tripling its AquaPartners network by the end of this year. Through this expansion, Aquaconnect aims to amplify its impact across India with a strong ground network,” the startup said.
In West Bengal, Aquaconnect’s sphere now extends to nine districts and spans eight districts across Uttar Pradesh.
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Speaking on the expansion plans, Karthivelan Selvaraj, Chief Operating Officer, Aquaconnect said, “West Bengal is the second-largest fish-producing state, contributing approximately 14 per cent to India’s total production and Uttar Pradesh follows closely as the third-largest with a 7 per cent contribution. Despite India being a leading seafood exporter, the domestic market is ripe for disruption. Expanding into these states is a strategic move to address this untapped potential. It aligns with our vision of establishing the largest aquaculture platform through our robust phygital distribution network.”
“Combining satellite remote sensing technologies with artificial intelligence and amplifying our AquaPartners network, we are committed to bringing transparency in the aquaculture value chain and enabling market linkage between stakeholders. By pioneering this transformative approach in these states, we are making a significant stride towards creating a more interconnected and streamlined ecosystem. We aim to promote sustainability and catalyse progress, gradually contributing to the broader growth of aquaculture in India,” Selvaraj added.
