Two men from Jalpaiguri have launched a startup to provide health solutions for aquaculture.

Former marine engineer Arkaprava Das and environment technologist Subhadip Mitra have launched Essential Aquatech, which aims to address climate change impacts and provide training for better and healthier fish production.

The startup also focuses on recirculating aquaponic systems, which integrate aquaculture (raising fish) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil) in a symbiotic environment.

The Jalpaiguri company, valued at ₹50 crore, has spread its wings across the country.

Das, 39, said: “We provide essential inputs like fish medicine, high-quality feed and superior fingerlings. By enhancing market linkages, we aim to boost fish farmers' profitability and sustainability, ensuring optimal production outcomes globally,” he said.

Das left his job and started taking training on aquaponic and hydroponic systems from the Center of Floriculture and Agri-Business Management (COFAM) of North Bengal University (NBU) in 2016.

While attending a conference in Japan, he came to know about the direct effect of climate change on the life of fish.

Das then tied up with Mitra, the co-founder of the startup.

Mitra said climate change posed significant challenges to inland aquaculture, wreaking havoc on fish farming in India.

“Rising temperatures contribute to algal blooms, oxygen depletion and increased disease rates, while erratic rainfall patterns and droughts affect water quantity and quality,” Mitra said, adding that extreme weather events such as storms and floods damage infrastructure, disrupting operations and exacerbating financial losses for farmers and hatchery owners.

Lack of knowledge among fish farms regarding illness management and water quality practices has compounded the challenges for the farmers.

The absence of on-site services for water quality testing, disease identification, and treatment recommendations adds to the problems. “This results in poor water quality and unhealthy fish populations. To combat this challenge, we have introduced 22 fish medicines, 10 fish feed and fish fingerlings for fish farmers and the products have gained popularity nationwide,” said Mitra.

Around 2,500 farmers from Bengal and the rest of the country are directly involved with the startup.

“We give them hands-on training and consultancy to grow their crop in a healthy way. India has taken the second position in the world in fish production and the market of fish farming has a huge future worldwide. Bengal is a bit behind in production, which means there is room for improvement,” said Mitra.