RICHA GUPTA
Seafood Storyteller
Helping Global Buyers Trust Indian Seafood
Subscribe for the Latest News and Insights
Welcome to India’s first credible, authentic, and neutral story platform dedicated to showcasing our nation’s journey toward becoming a transparent and sustainable global seafood powerhouse. Our vision is to act as a bridge—connecting stakeholders, closing knowledge gaps, and collectively addressing sustainability challenges—while helping the industry meet global ethical sourcing, traceability, and compliance commitments.
With over eight years of experience as a sustainability leader, I have seen firsthand the extraordinary potential India holds. The world wants to understand what India is doing—buyers are looking for confidence, transparency, and proof of progress. That is why we release a new video every week, publish a weekly newsletter read by 250+ global buyers, and are launching a podcast to enable change—because change is never easy, but it begins with honest, evidence-based storytelling.
At the heart of Aquabeats is a simple purpose: to build trust, shape positive global perception, and support India in reaching USD 12 billion in seafood exports by 2030, proudly contributing to our nation’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The world is watching, and it is our responsibility—our privilege—to show them the real India and the impact we are creating together.
Sustainable Feed Ingredients
Sustainable feed ingredients are at the heart of responsible aquaculture, yet the overreliance on marine ingredients like fishmeal (FM) and fish oil (FO) from pelagic fisheries remains a challenge—many of these sources are neither responsibly managed nor fully traceable. To shift the balance, key stakeholders are driving change: the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is promoting certified, traceable fisheries; MarinTrust is advancing Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs); and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) mandates that all marine ingredients originate from responsible, non-IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fisheries. Complementing these global efforts, the Government of India, through the PMMSY scheme, has earmarked ₹1,720 crore to support certification, traceability, and labeling initiatives—paving the way for integrating alternative protein inputs and reducing dependency on unsustainable pelagic sources.
Labor Rights/Social Responsibility
India’s seafood sector is under growing international scrutiny on labor rights and social responsibility — with organizations like the Corporate Accountability Lab, The Outlaw Ocean Project, the U.S. Department of Labor, Global Seafood Alliance, and Seafood Watch raising questions about worker welfare and ethical practices across the supply chain. While these reviews highlight the need for improvement, they also present an opportunity for India to reshape global perception by proactively showcasing responsible labor practices, transparent supply chains, and community-driven welfare initiatives. The goal now is not just compliance, but building trust — proving that Indian seafood can lead with both quality and conscience.
Animal Welfare
The global shrimp industry is moving toward a new era of responsibility — one where animal welfare takes center stage. With leading retailers like Co-op, Tesco, and Albert Heijn pledging to go 100% ablation-free with electrical stunning by 2027, and pioneers such as Kona Bay–Hendrix Genetics already fully transitioned to non-ablation practices, the shift is real and accelerating. In India, Sapthagiri Hatcheries has taken the lead as the first to adopt non-ablation methods, while major processors like Sandhya Aqua and Avanti Frozen Foods are committing to electrical stunning — setting a benchmark for humane harvest. From broodstock suppliers and hatcheries to farmers, processors, and researchers, every stakeholder now has a role to play. With the Shrimp Welfare Project driving awareness and the ASC Farm Standard embedding welfare at its core, the message is clear: ethical shrimp farming is not just good practice — it’s the future of global aquaculture.
Blue Carbon Leadership
Mangroves are nature’s quiet climate warriors — the world’s most powerful carbon sinks, anchoring coastlines while storing up to four times more carbon than rainforests. Today, initiatives like Walmart–SFP’s landscape-level collaboration, guided by ASC’s Blue Carbon leadership, are showing what real climate accountability looks like. Under the UN Paris Agreement, nations are now called to include blue carbon in their climate goals — a step India is echoing through projects like MISHTI, restoring over 26,000 hectares of coastal lands, including abandoned shrimp ponds. From ASC’s push to rehabilitate pre-1999 mangrove farm sites to SAIME proving that aquaculture and mangroves can coexist, and community-led projects in Tamil Nadu’s Palk Bay linking mangrove protection with sustainable fisheries — the message is clear: restoring biodiversity is not just environmental responsibility, it’s future-proofing aquaculture.
MSC-Sustainable Fisheries
India’s journey toward MSC-certified sustainable fisheries is gaining strong momentum, aligning with the global movement where 19% of wild catch is already MSC certified, with a goal of 30% by 2030. Over the next 3–5 years, India alone could unlock US $1–1.5 billion in export potential through certified and responsibly managed fisheries. This progress is driven by the Sustainable Seafood Network of India, which brings together 10 active Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) under a collaborative framework involving MSC, SEAI, CMFRI, the Government of India (PMMSY), processors, scientists, and NGOs. Importantly, international buyers are recognizing this shift—ALDI has become the first global retailer to embed MSC FIPs into its sourcing policy, signaling growing market preference for verified sustainable Indian seafood.
Why Indian Shrimp Deserves A Global Spotlight
Traceability
India’s traceability ecosystem is evolving rapidly, driven by over 100,000 small-scale shrimp farmers and strengthened through global frameworks like GDST, ASC, and BAP. With active support from the Government of India and technology providers, the sector is building transparent, digital-first traceability systems that buyers can trust. This integrated approach ensures every product can be tracked responsibly from pond to plate.
From Waste To Protein: The Future Of Feed
The urgent need to reduce dependence on fishmeal and highlights scalable alternatives — plant-based proteins, insect meals, single-cell solutions, and functional additives. Explore how innovators across India are reshaping shrimp margins while protecting food security and oceans.
👉 Swipe through for a quick primer on the transition, and discover the suppliers and collaborators building India’s sustainable seafood future.
Hand-Jigged Thondi Squid
Sustainable Farm Management
Sustainable farm management is grounded in disciplined farm monitoring, rigorous water-quality oversight, and continuous innovations that improve efficiency. From real-time farm data systems to better pond practices, farmers are embracing smarter, more responsible methods. This shift not only boosts yields but also promotes long-term environmental stewardship.
India’s Value-Added Leap: Maximizing the EU Opportunity
We look at how India’s seafood sector is combining innovation, safety, and transparency — ensuring that every pack shipped abroad carries not just seafood, but a story of skill, trust, and transformation.
Supported by 104 EU-approved plants, ₹2,703 crore PMMSY investments, and digital QA infrastructure, processors are scaling up to meet the global demand for value-added products —
ready-to-cook, retorted, and breaded shrimp.
AquaStories & Newsletter
Continuous Learning for a Smarter Aquaculture Future
Explore curated stories, informative articles, and key updates from the Aquabeats ecosystem. Our newsletter keeps you connected with industry developments, best practices, and innovations shaping modern aquaculture.
India’s Value-Added Leap: Maximizing the EU Opportunity
We look at how India’s seafood sector is combining innovation, safety, and transparency — ensuring that every pack shipped abroad carries not just seafood, but a story of skill, trust, and transformation.
Supported by 104 EU-approved plants, ₹2,703 crore PMMSY investments, and digital QA infrastructure, processors are scaling up to meet the global demand for value-added products —
ready-to-cook, retorted, and breaded shrimp.
Labor Rights/Social Responsibility
India’s seafood sector is under growing international scrutiny on labor rights and social responsibility — with organizations like the Corporate Accountability Lab, The Outlaw Ocean Project, the U.S. Department of Labor, Global Seafood Alliance, and Seafood Watch raising questions about worker welfare and ethical practices across the supply chain. While these reviews highlight the need for improvement, they also present an opportunity for India to reshape global perception by proactively showcasing responsible labor practices, transparent supply chains, and community-driven welfare initiatives. The goal now is not just compliance, but building trust — proving that Indian seafood can lead with both quality and conscience.
India’s Value-Added Leap: Maximizing the EU Opportunity
We look at how India’s seafood sector is combining innovation, safety, and transparency — ensuring that every pack shipped abroad carries not just seafood, but a story of skill, trust, and transformation.
Supported by 104 EU-approved plants, ₹2,703 crore PMMSY investments, and digital QA infrastructure, processors are scaling up to meet the global demand for value-added products —
ready-to-cook, retorted, and breaded shrimp.
Partner with Trust
Aquabeats Partnership Program
We invite committed stakeholders—producers, processors, innovators, buyers, policymakers, and advocates—to partner with us in elevating the narrative of responsible, ethical, and future-ready seafood. At Aquabeats, we bring together science, policy, technology, and human stories to spotlight positive change and build global trust. Whether through authentic storytelling, convening dialogues, sharing knowledge, or bridging industry gaps, we help showcase the progress and purpose behind India’s seafood ecosystem.
If you’re working on traceability, sustainability, ethical sourcing, value-addition, market insights, or system-level reforms, we welcome your ideas and collaboration.
Together, let’s shape the future of seafood.
People, Places, and Progress — In Frames
