A Kerala-based aquaculture startup has earned Indian national recognition for developing innovative technologies that are making mud crab farming more accessible, profitable, and sustainable. STEM Systems, founded by aquaculture graduates Arundas N. H. and Aswathy T., has won the Fisheries Startup Grand Challenge 2.0, organized by India’s Department of Fisheries, securing an innovation grant of ₹10 lakh to further expand its work.
Founded in 2022 by alumni of the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), STEM Systems aims to address some of the key challenges faced by mud crab farmers through practical, science-based solutions. The company’s innovations focus on improving production efficiency while lowering investment costs and expanding farming opportunities beyond traditional coastal areas.
One of the startup’s flagship innovations is the Mud Crab Bucket Fattening System, a technology designed to simplify premium mud crab production. According to the company, the system delivers higher survival rates, improved meat recovery, lower production costs, and better overall profitability compared to conventional fattening methods. The technology has been refined through extensive field trials, farmer participation, and scientific validation.
Recognizing that the lack of natural brackish water limits mud crab farming in many regions, STEM Systems also developed Aquamin, an artificial mineral formulation that recreates the ideal water chemistry required for mud crab culture. The solution enables farmers in inland areas to successfully rear mud crabs without depending on coastal water sources, while also reducing water consumption, minimizing cannibalism, and lowering operational costs.
Beyond these innovations, the company is developing Made-in-India Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) units and modular crab fattening boxes aimed at improving resource efficiency and promoting more sustainable production practices.
STEM Systems has also placed a strong emphasis on farmer capacity building. To date, the startup has trained more than 1,000 farmers, students, and aspiring entrepreneurs in mud crab farming techniques. Through its buy-back program, the company currently works with more than 100 farmers across Kerala, providing market assurance and encouraging wider adoption of improved farming practices.
Over the past year, the startup supplied more than 5,000 kilograms of premium jumbo mud crabs to major Indian markets, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, demonstrating the commercial viability of its production model.
The recognition of STEM Systems reflects the growing role of innovation and entrepreneurship in strengthening India’s aquaculture sector. By combining scientific research with farmer-focused technologies and market linkages, the company offers an example of how startups can address production challenges while creating new economic opportunities for coastal and inland communities alike.
For Bangladesh, where mud crab farming has emerged as a promising export-oriented industry, particularly in the country’s coastal districts, innovations such as these highlight the potential of technology-driven approaches to improve productivity, expand farming into new regions, and enhance the competitiveness of the sector.
