Bhopal, Oct 22 — In a major push to transform Madhya Pradesh’s economy, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has announced that fisheries will no longer remain a traditional occupation but will be elevated to the status of a full-fledged industry.
Speaking at the National Fisheries Conference held at the Kushabhau Thakre Auditorium in Bhopal, he said the sector would be integrated with food processing and the MSME sector, making it eligible for the same exemptions and incentives available to other major industries. During the event, the ‘Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Investment and Export Guide’ was unveiled to attract large-scale private investment and boost exports.
Yadav described the present time as a golden period for both the nation and the state. He noted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, ministers are functioning like Navratnas.
Highlighting Madhya Pradesh’s rich water resources as the cradle of many rivers, he recalled the rapid expansion of irrigation capacity since 2003 and the launch of the country’s first river-linking project in the state.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh (Lalan Singh) informed that India has become the world’s second-largest fish producer, with production rising from 9.5 million tonnes to 19.8 million tonnes and exports climbing from ₹30,213 crore to ₹62,408 crore. The sector supports the livelihoods of six crore people.
He stressed the need to strengthen export potential in inland states like Madhya Pradesh and praised the platform that brought fish farmers, fishermen and exporters together in Bhopal.
Union Minister of State SP Singh Baghel observed that the creation of a dedicated fisheries ministry in 2019 has ushered in unprecedented progress. India now ranks first in milk production and second in fisheries, with inland fisheries contributing 75 per cent of the national output. States without a coastline, including Madhya Pradesh, hold immense potential.
The state plans to develop modern cage culture infrastructure in the Indira Sagar, Bargi, Bansagar and Barna reservoirs to generate an additional four lakh metric tonnes of fish.
Under the Madhya Pradesh Integrated Fisheries Policy-2026, nearly one lakh cages will be installed across the state’s 4.5 lakh hectares of water area, with the aim of doubling the record 4.95 lakh metric tonnes produced in 2025-26 within three years.
The Central Government has included Madhya Pradesh in its Reservoir Fisheries Cluster programme, developing Samrat Ashok Sagar (Halali) and Indira Sagar as model sites.
Halali has already achieved the highest productivity among medium reservoirs. Integrated activities such as lotus, singhara and makhana cultivation, duck rearing, poultry, pearl production and aquaponics will create additional employment. Investment proposals worth approximately ₹40,000 crore have been received, expected to generate 3.5 lakh direct and indirect jobs through infrastructure for seed, feed, processing, cold storage, transport and exports.