A mechanical engineering student at Agnel Institute of Technology & Design, Assagao, Sahil Subhash Thakur has created one of Goa’s biggest ornamental fish shops, Thakur Aquatics, located at Cumbarjua.
Having cultivated an interest in aquariums and ornamental fish since childhood, Thakur at the age of 13, decided to try breeding ornamental fish at home. After lots of failures and learnings, he was successful in breeding three varieties of fish namely betta fish, golden severum, and angelfish in an area of just 1 square meter and with only three small tanks by spending Rs. 3,500 from his own pocket. Soon, he started selling them to the public.
With an aim to get an advanced ornamental set-up, Thakur started working in the industry to raise funds to grow his business. After working for almost 18 to 19 months, he was able to generate enough revenue to begin a big fish hatchery where he started breeding different varieties of fish in bulk and selling at wholesale rates to ornamental fish shops. “My engineering skills have been an added advantage while establishing my start-up,” says Thakur, who is working on aqua base projects in Goa and has been appointed as an incubator at the ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute to invent new medicines in aqua fields and to find new species of local habited fish from the Western Ghats and Goan water bodies.
His ornamental fish shop has almost 140 different species of fish which ranges from Rs. 5 per piece to Rs.15,000 per piece. The area is 120 square meters and includes 80-90 tanks. They have also set up a small exotic shrimps breeding and rearing unit, which includes some of the rare species of shrimps, which will be exported all over India.
Thakur’s future plan is to create a place where one can get all varieties of fresh water and marine fish. “Here we will also include a veterinary clinic for other pets too, with good hygiene.”
