KOCHI: An enterprise that began as an initiative to solve one of India’s biggest aquaculture challenges by two postgraduates from Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (KUFOS) has emerged a national winner of the Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge 2.0, organised by the Union government’s department of fisheries.
Arundas N H and Aswathy T had set out on an entrepreneurial journey to make premium mud crab farming simple, affordable and profitable for every farmer. And they have now secured a Rs 10-lakh innovation grant for pioneering work in sustainable mud crab farming technologies.
Their Kochi-based startup — STEM Systems, founded in 2022 — has in the past four years done intensive research and developed affordable, scalable, and farmer-friendly mud crab fattening technologies. “Our flagship innovation, the mud crab bucket fattening system, enables farmers to produce premium-quality mud crabs with higher survival, improved meat recovery, lower investment and better profitability.
The technology has been developed through continuous field trials, farmer participation, and scientific validation,” Arundas told TNIE.One of the major constraints in mud crab farming is the dependence on natural brackish water. To overcome the challenge, the startup developed Aquamin, an artificial brackish water mineral formulation that recreates the ideal water conditions required for mud crab fattening.
“This innovation enables farmers to culture mud crabs even in inland regions where natural saline water is unavailable. The system significantly reduces cannibalism, improves survival, minimises water use, and lowers investment costs, making premium mud crab farming accessible to small-scale farmers, women entrepreneurs, students and rural youth,” he said.
The company is also advancing Recirculatory Aquaculture System (RAS) technology for mud crab fattening. Through continuous research and field validation, STEM Systems has been designing and improving Made-in-India RAS units and modular crab fattening boxes, enabling efficient, scalable and sustainable production systems suited to Indian farming conditions.
“The company supplies quality mud crab seed, provides Aquamin mineral solutions, offers technical training, continuous farm support, and finally purchases market-ready crabs directly from farmers through a structured buy-back programme. This integrated model reduces marketing risks while ensuring better returns for producers,” Arundas said.
More than 1,000 farmers, students and entrepreneurs have been trained through practical workshops, online programmes and field demonstrations. Today, over 100 farmers in Kerala are connected to the company’s buy-back network, supplying premium mud crabs that are marketed daily through their outlets in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
“Specialising in jumbo mud crabs weighing over 1kg, our company supplied more than 5,000kg of premium jumbo crabs during the past year, creating a reliable premium market for coastal farmers while meeting the growing demand for high-quality seafood in metropolitan cities,” he added.
The startup has also trained participants from countries including Maldives, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia.