Fish Farming Subsidy and Loans: PMMSY, KCC, FIDF and NFDB

Unit costs, how to apply and what is confirmed on dates for PMMSY, PM-MKSSY, FIDF, Kisan Credit Card and NFDB, as of 3 October 2026.

Updated: 3 October 2026

The main subsidy for a fish pond or biofloc unit is the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY): 40% of the unit cost for general applicants and 60% for SC, ST and women. Its last official extension reaches only to September 2026, which has now passed, so no window should be treated as open until the District Fisheries Office confirms it.

Working-capital credit through the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) for fisheries is running, and the PM-MKSSY sub-scheme runs to 2026-27. FIDF is a concessional loan for larger infrastructure, not a grant.

Scheme status on 3 October 2026

Scheme	Period	What the official sources say
PMMSY	2020-21 to 2024-25, extended to 2025-26	Lok Sabha reply of 28 July 2026: "continued till September, 2026 in its existing form", with ₹2,500 crore in the 2026-27 budget. The reply was asked about a second phase and announces none. Ask the District Fisheries Office for anything newer.
PM-MKSSY (sub-scheme of PMMSY)	FY 2023-24 to 2026-27, ₹6,000 crore	Inside its approved period. National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP) launched 11 September 2024.
FIDF	Extended to 2025-26 by Cabinet on 8 February 2024	Ask the lender or NABARD for anything newer.
KCC for fisheries	Since 2018-19	Running; limit ₹5 lakh.

Before preparing a project report, ask the District Fisheries Officer whether new PMMSY proposals are being taken and at what unit costs.

PMMSY: unit costs and subsidy

Unit costs below are from the Department of Fisheries beneficiary booklet (September 2020). Aid is on actual cost up to the ceiling. Amounts in ₹ lakh.

Component	Unit cost	40% (general)	60% (SC, ST, women)
New grow-out pond	7.00 per ha	2.80	4.20
Inputs for freshwater aquaculture (carp, scampi, pangasius, tilapia)	4.00 per ha	1.60	2.40
New nursery (rearing) pond	7.00 per ha	2.80	4.20
New freshwater finfish hatchery	25.00 per unit	10.00	15.00
Biofloc, 7 tanks of 4 m	7.50 per unit	3.00	4.50
Biofloc, 25 tanks	25.00 per unit	10.00	15.00
Biofloc pond, freshwater, with inputs	14.00 per 0.1 ha	5.60	8.40
Cages in reservoirs	3.00 per unit	1.20	1.80
Mini feed mill, 2 tonnes a day	30.00 per unit	12.00	18.00

The government share is split between Centre and State: 60:40 in general States, 90:10 in north-eastern and Himalayan States, 100% Centre in Union Territories. The farmer pays the rest.
Limits: a new pond up to 2 ha for an individual; for biofloc ponds 2 units of 0.1 ha; for biofloc tanks one unit. In Himalayan and north-eastern States the booklet lists new ponds at ₹8.40 lakh per ha.
Conditions: land free of encumbrance, no money for land, pond at least 1.5 m deep with perennial water, and for leased land a registered lease of 7 years from the date of submission.
Projects need a project report with bank consent for the farmer's share and an undertaking that no other government aid is taken for the same project. Seed, feed and market are the farmer's responsibility; exotic species need government permission.

Want help starting or getting a loan?

How to apply for PMMSY

Choose the component and collect quotations. Prepare a project report (Self-Contained Proposal or DPR) with species, technical and economic details, capital and running cost, jobs created, timeline and source of finance.
Collect documents. Goa's annexure lists Aadhaar, SC or ST certificate if applicable, land documents (deed or registered lease), quotations, a mandate form in 2 copies and a bank letter if a loan is taken; Goa also asks for a 15-year residence certificate and, after building, a work completion certificate from a registered engineer. Other States' lists differ.
Submit to the District Fisheries Officer of your home district (booklet, section 7.1.1). Central Sector proposals go to the Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi 110001.
Arrange the balance, 60% of cost for general applicants and 40% for SC, ST and women, from a bank or own funds.
Register on NFDP at nfdp.dof.gov.in, which PIB describes as a single-window route to credit, insurance and incentives.
Questions: NFDB toll-free 1800-425-1660 (number from the 2020 booklet; confirm it).

PM-MKSSY and NFDP

Four components: formalising the sector and access to working capital for microenterprises; aquaculture insurance; value-chain efficiency; and fish safety and quality systems.
On NFDP the credit module is live. As of 18 March 2025, 4,066 lead applications had been forwarded to banks, and over 20 lakh people had registered.
Insurance incentive (secondary source, Strive Edge IAS summary of a PIB release of 29 September 2026; confirm with the District Fisheries Office): for one crop cycle, ₹25,000 per ha up to ₹1,00,000 for pond culture of up to 4 ha, and up to 40% of premium, maximum ₹1,00,000, for biofloc, RAS, cages and raceways; SC, ST and women get 10% more.

FIDF: loan for infrastructure

Who: State governments, State corporations, cooperatives and federations, groups of fish farmers, panchayats, SHGs, NGOs, women entrepreneurs, private companies and entrepreneurs.
Rate: interest subvention up to 3% a year, with banks lending at not below 5%, over 12 years including a 2-year moratorium. Lenders are NABARD, NCDC and scheduled banks. A credit guarantee covers entrepreneurs, individual farmers and cooperatives.
Uses: hatcheries, feed mills, cold storage, fish markets, cage culture and similar infrastructure. Fund size ₹7,522.48 crore; 136 projects worth ₹5,801.06 crore were approved by February 2025.
Apply: through a lending bank, NABARD or NCDC with a project report. Cabinet extended FIDF to 2025-26; ask the lender whether it is still taking applications.

Kisan Credit Card for fish farmers

KCC was extended to fishers and fish farmers in 2018-19 for working capital.
PIB of 11 March 2026 says the limit for fisheries and allied activities rose from ₹2 lakh to ₹5 lakh, and collateral-free credit rose to ₹2 lakh from 1 January 2025.
PIB of 30 March 2026 gives 7% a year on short-term agricultural loans up to ₹3 lakh, and 4% with the 3% prompt repayment incentive. Confirm at the branch that the same rate applies to a fish loan.
Apply at a bank branch, through the Jan Samarth portal, or the e-KCC portal for regional rural banks and cooperative banks. Steps are on the KCC page.

NFDB

The National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad, works under the Department of Fisheries. For beneficiary activities run by central bodies including NFDB, aid is 40% (general) and 60% (SC, ST, women).
Address in the 2020 booklet: Pillar No 235, PVNR Expressway, SVPNPA Post, Hyderabad 500 052; phone 040-24000177. Figures here come from DoF and archived NFDB booklets, so confirm current details with NFDB.

Next steps

Check other aid in the subsidy finder, price your project in project cost, test repayments in the EMI calculator, and return to fish farming.

Sources

More in this guide

Fish project cost Fish species

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How much subsidy does PMMSY give for a fish pond? +

PMMSY pays 40 percent of unit cost for general applicants and 60 percent for SC, ST and women. The 2020 booklet's ceilings are 7 lakh rupees per hectare for a new grow-out pond (2.80 lakh or 4.20 lakh subsidy) and 4 lakh rupees per hectare for inputs (1.60 lakh or 2.40 lakh).

Is PMMSY still open in October 2026? +

Not confirmed. A Lok Sabha reply of 28 July 2026 says PMMSY was continued till September 2026 in its existing form, and announces no second phase. Ask the District Fisheries Officer before preparing a project report.

Where do I apply for PMMSY subsidy? +

The Department of Fisheries booklet says to submit the project report to the District Fisheries Officer of your home district. Central Sector proposals go to the Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. NFDB's toll-free number in the 2020 booklet is 1800-425-1660.

How much Kisan Credit Card limit can a fish farmer get? +

PIB of 11 March 2026 says the limit for fisheries and allied activities rose from 2 lakh to 5 lakh rupees, with collateral-free credit up to 2 lakh rupees from 1 January 2025. PIB gives 7 percent interest on short-term agricultural loans up to 3 lakh, or 4 percent with prompt repayment.

What is FIDF and who can borrow from it? +

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund gives concessional loans for infrastructure such as hatcheries, feed mills and cold storage. Eligible borrowers include cooperatives, farmer groups, SHGs, private companies and entrepreneurs. Interest subvention is up to 3 percent, over 12 years with a 2-year moratorium.

What is PM-MKSSY? +

It is a Central Sector sub-scheme of PMMSY for FY 2023-24 to 2026-27 with a 6,000 crore rupee outlay. It covers formalising the sector through NFDP, aquaculture insurance incentives, value-chain support and fish safety systems.