Madhya Pradesh is placing its biggest-ever bet on fish. At the National Fisheries Investors and Exporters Conclave-2026 in Bhopal on 23 October 2026, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that fisheries will get formal industry status under the Madhya Pradesh Integrated Fisheries Policy 2026 — and that the state has already received investment proposals worth around ₹40,000 crore, expected to generate roughly 3.5 lakh jobs.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Announcement | Fisheries gets industry status; linked with food processing and MSMEs for industry-grade incentives |
| Policy | Madhya Pradesh Integrated Fisheries Policy 2026 |
| Investment proposals | ₹40,000 crore (received) |
| Expected employment | ~3.5 lakh direct and indirect jobs / self-employment |
| Reservoir project | ₹7,430 crore for cage culture in Indira Sagar, Bargi, Bansagar, Barna reservoirs |
| Additional production target | ~4 lakh metric tonnes from the four-reservoir project |
| Cage target | ~1 lakh cages across 4.5 lakh hectares of water area |
| Production goal | Double from the 4.95 lakh MT record of 2025-26 within three years |
| Model centres | Halali (Samrat Ashok Sagar, Raisen) and Indira Sagar (Khandwa) under the Central Reservoir Fisheries Cluster Programme |
Industry status: what actually changes for the sector
Fisheries in MP will no longer be treated as just a traditional occupation. The Chief Minister said the sector will be linked with food processing and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), making fish farmers, feed makers and processors eligible for the incentives and benefits that other industries already receive. The government also released the Madhya Pradesh Fisheries Investment and Export Guide at the conclave to draw private capital into the sector.
The proposed investments will build fish seed production units, feed plants, processing facilities, cold storage, transportation and export infrastructure. Fish landing centres and disease diagnosis laboratories will also come up near reservoirs — a critical gap for inland aquaculture today.
The ₹7,430 crore reservoir plan: cage culture at scale
The centrepiece is a ₹7,430 crore plan to develop modern cage culture facilities in four major reservoirs — Indira Sagar, Bargi, Bansagar and Barna. Under cage culture, fish are raised in specially designed net cages placed inside reservoirs, allowing controlled, high-density farming.
The four-reservoir project alone is expected to add around 4 lakh metric tonnes of fish. Overall, the policy targets about one lakh cages across the state’s 4.5 lakh hectares of water area — aiming to double the state’s record 4.95 lakh metric tonnes of production (2025-26) within three years.
Halali and Indira Sagar: the model fisheries centres
The Centre has included Madhya Pradesh in its Reservoir Fisheries Cluster Programme. Samrat Ashok Sagar (Halali) in Raisen district and Indira Sagar in Khandwa district are being developed as model fisheries centres with full facilities for fish seed, feed, production, processing, cold storage, transport and marketing.
Halali’s productivity was recorded at 361 kg per hectare in 2024-25 and 319 kg per hectare in 2025-26 — the highest among medium-sized reservoirs, according to departmental information.
Pearl, makhana and aquaponics: the integrated farming push
The government will also promote integrated fish farming, so farmers can earn extra income from duck rearing, poultry, pearl production and the cultivation of lotus, water chestnuts (singhara) and makhana. Through aquaponics, farmers can grow vegetables, flowers and medicinal plants alongside fish — a model expected to create new livelihoods for rural youth and women in self-help groups.
What this means for fish farmers
- Industry-grade incentives: MSME linkage means cheaper finance and scheme benefits for hatcheries, feed units and processors.
- Better infrastructure: cold chain, landing centres and disease diagnosis labs near reservoirs reduce post-harvest losses.
- New income streams: integrated farming (pearl, makhana, aquaponics) adds revenue beyond fish sales.
- Employment: 3.5 lakh direct and indirect opportunities are projected across the value chain.
The conclave was held at the Kushabhau Thakre Convention Centre in Bhopal, with Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister of State S.P. Singh Baghel, and state minister Narayan Singh Panwar in attendance. A state with no coastline is now aiming to become one of India’s biggest inland fisheries hubs — and the cage-culture push puts aquaculture at the centre of that plan.
Sources: Free Press Journal report dated 23 October 2026; IANS report dated 22-23 October 2026. Figures are announced targets and proposals; actual investment and outcomes will depend on project execution.