Pursuing a professional degree while managing a business is not a common path for most students. However, Jagannath Kar, a second-year BTech student from Chikarada village in Odisha’s Ganjam district, is combining his engineering education with ornamental fish farming, gradually developing a venture that has received support from local agricultural institutions.
Jagannath’s interest in ornamental fish farming began after he visited an exhibition where he was introduced to the commercial potential of aquarium fish. Inspired by the opportunity, he decided to learn the technical aspects of ornamental fish culture before starting his own unit. After completing professional training, he established an ornamental fish farming enterprise while continuing his engineering studies.
To support the initiative, Jagannath received financial assistance of ₹1,09,320 under the Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC) programme. The project has also received technical guidance from the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Ganjam, which has provided training, broodstock, and advisory support to help improve farm management and production practices.
Balancing academics with aquaculture requires careful planning. Whenever he is away attending classes, routine farm operations are managed with the support of his family. His younger brother, Ayush Kumar Kar, assists with feeding the fish twice a day and helps with regular maintenance of the culture units. Pond cleaning and water replacement are also carried out periodically to maintain suitable conditions for ornamental fish culture.
The farm currently cultures several popular ornamental fish species, including goldfish, guppies, mollies, and swordtails. Jagannath plans to introduce additional ornamental fish varieties as the enterprise expands. Traders from Berhampur and nearby areas regularly visit the farm to purchase ornamental fish, providing a local market for the business.
The venture has continued to grow with technical support from KVK. Officials from the centre first interacted with Jagannath during a local exhibition, where his interest in ornamental fisheries was identified. He was later introduced to demonstration units and received practical exposure to ornamental fish farming techniques before establishing his own production unit.
Since then, the KVK has continued to assist him by supplying broodstock and providing technical guidance whenever required. According to the institution, what began as a small project with five production units has now expanded to nearly twenty units. The centre is also working to connect the enterprise with the Fisheries Department, where a proposal to develop the venture into a One Stop Aqua Shop is currently under consideration.
Jagannath’s journey highlights how technical training, institutional support, and family participation can help students explore entrepreneurial opportunities alongside higher education. While continuing his engineering studies, he plans to further develop the ornamental fish farming unit by expanding the range of species cultured and strengthening the business in the coming years.
