Overview
- Union minister Jitendra Singh set out the plan during a January 17 visit to ACOSTI in Port Blair, positioning the islands as the focal point for India’s blue economy.
- He launched open-sea cage culture demonstrations for fishermen and seaweed cultivation projects, stating that technology transfer for these efforts is finished.
- He also announced a coral fish development project designed to serve domestic demand and export markets.
- He proposed a collaborative cluster connecting Ministry of Earth Sciences institutions with the Department of Biotechnology and CSIR to accelerate research-to-market outcomes.
- He linked the push to the Deep Ocean Mission and the Bio-E3 policy, highlighting unique local biodiversity and opportunities in marine bioproducts, nutraceuticals and women’s self-help group livelihoods.