PMMSY Open Sea Cage Farming
Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India · Central government
PMMSY funds ₹2–3 lakh per open sea cage, up to 5 cages per individual or 50 per group.
Open, rolling. Applications are accepted continuously — there is no deadline.
Key facts
- Subsidy amount
- ₹2,00,000 – ₹3,00,000
- Instrument
- Subsidy
- Deadline
- Rolling
- Disbursement
- Released against milestones
About this scheme
Under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), the Department of Fisheries funds the setting up of open sea cages with a volume of 100–120 cubic metres. This falls under item 2.4 of the scheme's mariculture activity list.
Each cage carries a benchmarked unit cost of ₹5.00 lakh. A general beneficiary receives ₹2.00 lakh per cage, while an SC/ST/Women beneficiary receives ₹3.00 lakh per cage. An individual may claim up to 5 cages. A group or society may claim twice its member count, capped at 50 cages — which makes cooperative cage farms the larger opportunity here.
Proposals are routed through the State/UT Fisheries Department.
Who can apply
- Eligible business forms
- Not specified
- Udyam registration
- Not specified
- MSME registration
- Not required
- DPIIT startup recognition
- Not required
- GST registration
- Not specified
- Where the business may be based
- Not restricted
- Individual beneficiaries: up to 5 cages - Groups of fishers and fish farmers, including self-help groups, joint liability groups and fisher cooperatives: 2x members, subject to a ceiling of 50 cages - FFPOs / FFPCs - Beneficiaries from SC/ST communities and women beneficiaries: higher rate per cage
How to apply
1. Draft a proposal covering how many 100–120 cubic metre cages you plan to install, calculated at the unit cost of ₹5.00 lakh per cage. 2. Secure site clearance for the cage location from the relevant state authorities. 3. File the proposal with your District or State Fisheries Officer under PMMSY; where the higher rate is being claimed, attach a category certificate. 4. Groups must additionally furnish registration particulars and member details, as the ceiling is determined by the number of members. 5. The State Fisheries Department appraises and sanctions the proposal under the Annual Action Plan. 6. Funds are released once the installed cages have been verified.
How applications are assessed
State and UT Fisheries Departments assess proposals for conformity with PMMSY activity norms and unit costs. Those that qualify are ranked by priority within the outlay set out in the approved Annual Action Plan, after which they are sent forward for sanction. Assistance is released only once the asset created has been physically verified.
Frequently asked questions
How much assistance per cage?
The subsidy is ₹2.00 lakh for a general beneficiary and ₹3.00 lakh for an SC/ST or woman beneficiary, against a cost of ₹5.00 lakh per cage unit.
How many cages can I install?
An individual beneficiary can receive up to 5 cages, while a group or society may claim twice its membership, capped at 50 cages.
What size cage qualifies?
Open sea cages range in volume from 100 to 120 cubic metres.
Can a fisher cooperative apply?
Self-help groups, joint liability groups, fisher cooperatives and FFPOs/FFPCs do qualify, and they are placed under the considerably higher cage ceiling.
Where do I apply?
Apply through your State or UT Fisheries Department, which administers the PMMSY scheme.
Sectors
- Agri Food Rural
- Mariculture
- Fisheries
- Sea Cage Farming
- Pmmsy
- Capital Subsidy
- Fpo
Details last verified on 18 September 2026. Source: the issuer's published information.