Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh Alias Lalan Singh, today launched the “Rangeen Machhli” mobile app at ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA), Bhubaneswar. Developed by ICAR-CIFA with support from the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the app is designed to meet the growing needs of the ornamental fisheries sector, providing crucial knowledge resources for hobbyists, aquarium shop owners, and fish farmers. The event was attended by Shri George Kurian, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, along with other senior officials.
During his address, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh highlighted the increasing importance of the ornamental fisheries sector, stating that the Ministry is placing a strong emphasis on its development, recognizing the sector’s potential for generating employment and contributing to the economy. He also stated that aquarium hobby has to be promoted in a bigger way in the country.
The “Rangeen Machhli” app provides multilingual information on popular ornamental fish species in eight Indian languages, making it accessible to a wide audience. Whether hobbyists are seeking guidance on fish care or farmers looking to diversify their breeds, the app offers comprehensive details on care, breeding, and maintenance practices. One of its key features is the “Find Aquarium Shops” tool, which allows users to locate nearby aquarium shops through a dynamic directory updated by shop owners, promoting local businesses and connecting users with reliable sources for ornamental fish and aquarium-related products. In addition, the app includes educational modules for both newcomers and professionals in the ornamental fish industry. The “Basics of Aquarium Care” module covers essential topics such as types of aquariums, fishes, water filtration, lighting, feeding, day to day maintenance, while the “Ornamental Aquaculture” module focuses on breeding, rearing of different ornamental fish.