How Corel Lifecare is empowering Indian fish farmers through technology

India’s aquaculture sector—second only to China in global fish production—has become a cornerstone of the nation’s agri economy, contributing significantly to the country’s GDP and export revenue. A leading shrimp exporter, India’s aquatic farming ecosystem has grown rapidly in scale over the years, but lags behind in scientific infrastructure and support systems.

“India has over 2.5 lakh aquaculture ponds but hardly any functional diagnostic infrastructure,” says Abhijeet Naohate, Founder and CEO of Corel Lifecare. This absence leaves farmers vulnerable to disease outbreaks, misinformation, and exploitation.

Against this backdrop, Corel Lifecare was founded in 2018 by Abhijeet Naohate with a mission to bring transparency, affordability, and research-driven innovation into India’s aquaculture ecosystem.

Established in its current form in 2023 and headquartered in Navi Mumbai, the biotechnology startup is focused on democratising access to advanced bio-formulations, enhancing aquafarmers’ profitability and sustainability. It focuses on developing high-quality, research-driven products for fish and shrimp farmers.

The genesis

Naohate, a fisheries expert with global aquafeed experience, became disillusioned with the industry's unethical practices. He became increasingly uncomfortable with the profit-driven mindset of companies—particularly pricing practices that burdened farmers.

“I once witnessed a meeting where a Rs 500 product was marked up to Rs 5,000 just because they could,” he recalls. “I couldn’t be part of a system that exploits those who feed us.”

This became the catalyst for the creation of Corel Lifecare—a startup built on the principles of affordability, transparency, and science-led innovation.

Naohate then partnered with Nikhilesh Hajare, who brought 17 years of experience managing his family's 25-year-old manufacturing business. Sharing a common vision for ethical, high-quality solutions, Hajare joined as Co-founder and COO in March 2023.

The leadership team was further strengthened by the addition of Chief Business Officer Rohit Patel, a long-time mentor to Naohate and an industry veteran.

Together, the 11-member team is building a purpose-driven enterprise aiming to transform Indian aquaculture through scalable, sustainable, and farmer-centric solutions.

A science-driven product line

Corel Lifecare’s product philosophy hinges on high-efficacy bio-formulations that are tailored to address challenges in fish and shrimp farming.

Its flagship product, Mintamix, is a high-grade mineral mixture that supports healthy molting and growth in shrimp.

“The market is full of adulterated mineral carriers like lime that do little to improve animal health. Mintamix is designed to supply essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium—all in bioavailable form, ensuring real impact,” explains Naohate.

PondTrust is a probiotic-enzyme blend that enhances pond hygiene by breaking down organic waste and reducing ammonia buildup, which are common contributors to disease outbreaks and losses.

Another product, Immu-45, acts as a multi-functional immunity enhancer, consolidating five essential supplements into a single feed additive.

Other offerings such as Zeerovib, Bindo Best, O2Balance, and Toxxeal PS collectively address water quality management, feed efficiency, toxin neutralisation, and oxygen stabilization.

“Our goal is not to push a product, but to solve a problem,” Naohate emphasises.

AI-driven precision aquaculture

Corel Lifecare is integrating artificial intelligence (AI)-powered diagnostic and farm management tools, developed in collaboration with Vietnam-based RYNAN Aquaculture. The AI-enabled imaging tool assesses shrimp health through smartphone photos, detecting diseases such as Enterocytozoon Hepatopenia (EHP).

“Our diagnostic system uses computer vision to analyse hepatopancreatic colour from images,” explains Naohate. “It’s faster, stress-free, and removes the need for expensive, inconsistent lab tests.”

Complementing this is a low-cost bacterial culture kit integrated with the Tomgoxy mobile app, which uses AI-driven colour detection to identify pathogens, microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and fungi that cause disease. In aquaculture, pathogens such as Vibrio, commonly found in warm, brackish, or marine waters, especially in poorly managed farms, can lead to ulcers, slow growth, and mass mortality in fish and shellfish. Early detection enables timely intervention and better disease management, helping prevent major economic losses.

The app, available on subscription starting Rs 8,600 per year, allows farmers to access on-site diagnostics.

Beyond diagnostics, Corel’s solutions include real-time water quality monitoring using IoT sensors, automated feeding systems that adjust to environmental cues, and predictive analytics models to forecast disease outbreaks—all contributing to a scalable and future-ready precision aquaculture ecosystem.

Operational model

Corel Lifecare operates on a vertically integrated model from in-house R&D and manufacturing units based in Mumbai, to distribution and field support, allowing strict control over product quality and pricing.

The products are priced in the range of Rs 500 to Rs 3,800, and are designed to ensure efficacy without burdening farmers financially.

Field officers also conduct workshops and demonstrations to teach best practices, maximising the effectiveness of product usage.

The startup currently engages over 3,000 farmers every month across seven states like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and West Bengal, among others, supported by 120 channel partners. The company aims to reach 5,000 farmers by the end of FY 2025–26.

The startup was bootstrapped with an initial investment of Rs 1.32 crore from personal savings of the founders. Corel Lifecare began commercial operations in July 2023.

Corel scaled from Rs 26 lakh to over Rs 2.5 crore revenue in under six months, with a projected Rs 12 crore target for FY 2025–26.

Quarter-over-quarter growth has touched 240%, driven by a 78% customer retention rate, underscoring both product efficacy and trust.

Corel Lifecare has navigated multiple challenges in India’s fragmented and conservative aquaculture market, including early skepticism from dealers and fish farmers used to establish international brands and repurposed products.

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To counter this, the startup focused on education-led engagement. “We realised early that education would be our most effective distribution channel,” says Naohate. Building a pan-India distribution network was resource-intensive, especially while competing with global and domestic giants like Cargill, BASF, Avanti Feeds, and Nutreco.

Alongside, Corel had to address systemic issues such as polluted water, recurring disease outbreaks like WFS and EHP, and the growing need for antibiotic-free farming. “Solving for Indian aquaculture isn’t just about products—it’s about context, ecosystems, and sustained R&D,” he adds.

“Our aquaculture-specific bio-formulations are high in concentration and low in dosage, catering to Indian fish and shrimp farmers. Unlike mainstream competitors, they are tailored for aquaculture, enabling faster growth, better disease management, and antibiotic-free farming, unlike those repurposed from poultry or dairy sectors,” he says.

Looking ahead

The India aqua inputs and supplements market for shrimps was valued at Rs 3,811 crore in 2024, projected to reach Rs 9,959 crore by 2033, with a CAGR of 10.70%, according to IMARC.

Corel Lifecare is preparing for its next phase of expansion. With plans to enter livestock nutrition, crop care, and companion animal health, the startup is exploring new verticals rooted in its bio-science expertise. Talks are underway to become the exclusive Indian aquaculture partner for a US-based agri-tech firm.

The startup is also preparing to raise external capital to scale faster, aiming to achieve Rs 25 crore revenue in the next 2–3 years, and to eventually build a business with a Rs 1,000 crore market capitalisation.

“Our mission is to improve the lives of over 1 lakh farmers annually, using science and integrity,” Naohate affirms.

(Disclaimer: The story has been updated to correct a typo.)