The story
The Godavari delta's canals, flat land and brackish water made Bhimavaram and Akividu the heart of Andhra Pradesh's aquaculture boom from the 1980s. Paddy fields were turned into fish and shrimp ponds, first for carp and later for exportable white-leg (vannamei) shrimp. Hatcheries, feed mills, processing plants and cold storages grew around the ponds. Andhra Pradesh is now India's top state for farmed shrimp and fish.
In numbers
Andhra Pradesh contributed 41% of India's fish production in 2022-23 and accounts for over 30% of India's seafood exports.
Andhra Pradesh: state profile (IBEF) · 2026Marine products exports from Andhra Pradesh were about Rs 30,275 crore in FY26, up from Rs 28,466 crore in FY25.
Andhra Pradesh: state profile (IBEF) · 2026
Ways in for a newcomer
- Shrimp seed hatchery or nursery
- Feed, probiotics and aquaculture input dealership
- Water and disease testing lab
- Ice plants, cold chain and processing
Problems the cluster faces
- Disease outbreaks in shrimp
- US tariffs and export price swings
- Antibiotic residue rules
- Salinity damage to farmland and water
Businesses to start here
Fish Farming (Carp Pond) →Fish Feed Plant (Floating Pellets) →Frozen Fish Unit →Dried Prawns Unit →