
Nabard, APGB sign MoU with Aqua Exchange
The agreement signed in Vijayawada on Monday, introduces a pioneering loan model for shrimp farmers, integrating Internet of Things (IoT) as part of a pilot project.
The event was attended by NABARD Deputy Managing Director AK Sood, NABARD Andhra Pradesh Regional Office Chief General Manager MR Gopal, NABARD Head Office CGMs Manikumar and AV Bhavani Shankar, APGB Chairman Pramod Kumar Reddy, Union Bank of India General Manager Renu Nair, and Aqua Exchange CEO Pawan Krishna Kosaraju.
This partnership aims to bring shrimp farmers into the formal credit system by offering low-interest loans, reducing reliance on informal lending. By leveraging IoT devices, the initiative enables real-time monitoring of water quality, feed usage, and disease control, enhancing productivity, minimising risks, and promoting sustainable aquaculture practices.
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New Indian Express
21 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Nabard, APGB sign MoU with Aqua Exchange
VIJAYAWADA: In a significant step towards revolutionising aquaculture financing, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Andhra Pradesh Grameen Bank (APGB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aqua Exchange Agritech Private Limited. The agreement signed in Vijayawada on Monday, introduces a pioneering loan model for shrimp farmers, integrating Internet of Things (IoT) as part of a pilot project. The event was attended by NABARD Deputy Managing Director AK Sood, NABARD Andhra Pradesh Regional Office Chief General Manager MR Gopal, NABARD Head Office CGMs Manikumar and AV Bhavani Shankar, APGB Chairman Pramod Kumar Reddy, Union Bank of India General Manager Renu Nair, and Aqua Exchange CEO Pawan Krishna Kosaraju. This partnership aims to bring shrimp farmers into the formal credit system by offering low-interest loans, reducing reliance on informal lending. By leveraging IoT devices, the initiative enables real-time monitoring of water quality, feed usage, and disease control, enhancing productivity, minimising risks, and promoting sustainable aquaculture practices.


Hans India
a day ago
- Hans India
Nabard, APGB sign pact with Aqua Exchange to finance shrimp farmers
Vijayawada: Nabard and APGB on Monday signed an agreement with Aqua Exchange Agri Tech Private Limited to provide financial support to shrimp farmers in the state. The initiative will pilot a value chain financing model using Internet of Things (IoT) devices on shrimp farms to improve water quality, feed management, and disease control. 'National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development and Andhra Pradesh Grameen Bank have partnered with Aqua Exchange Agri Tech Private Limited to promote an aquaculture value chain financing model,' said Nabard deputy managing director A K Sood. He added that this strategic partnership will pilot a financing model specifically for shrimp farmers in Andhra Pradesh. The collaboration aims to integrate shrimp farmers into the formal credit system, offer loans at reasonable interest rates, and reduce their dependence on informal lenders, according to the press release. During the event, loan sanction letters worth over Rs 1 crore were handed over to five shrimp farmers, and IoT devices were distributed to enable real-time farm monitoring and data-driven management. In a related development, Nabard sanctioned over Rs 3 crore for a tribal development project in Buttayagudem and Polavaram mandals of Eluru district, benefiting 500 families from the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). The six-year PVTG project will also focus on developing mango and cashew orchards with border crops, expected to yield Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.2 lakh annually per family upon maturity. The loan sanction letter was handed over to the Project Facilitating Agency, ACTION (Association for Rural and Tribal Development), underscoring NABARD's commitment to inclusive rural growth.

The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Collateral-free shrimp crop loan scheme launched in A.P.
Andhra Pradesh Grameena Bank (APGB), in collaboration with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and AquaExchange Agritech Private Limited, launched collateral-free shrimp crop loans for aquaculture farmers, on Monday. The formal launch took place at AquaExchange's Veeravalli premises near Hanuman Junction in Krishna district. As part of the NABARD–AquaExchange MoU, the partners will develop a standardised shrimp farming rating score (FRS), providing a benchmark for the formal finance sector to assess aquaculture creditworthiness. This FRS is expected to play a crucial role in integrating aquaculture lending into the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) envisioned by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Under the APGB–AquaExchange agreement, ₹25 crore worth of collateral-free crop loans will be disbursed to around 100 shrimp farmers over the next 3 to 6 months. The first tranche — ₹1.2 crore — was sanctioned on Monday to five farmers from various regions. AquaExchange plans to expand disbursements to ₹100 crore within the current financial year and ₹250 crore in the next. The launch coincided with a farmers' meet attended by over 100 shrimp farmers from across Andhra Pradesh. The event also showcased AquaExchange's aquaculture automation technologies, designed to improve yields, reduce risks, and enhance profitability. Under this programme, APGB will extend low-cost, collateral-free working capital loans to shrimp farmers via AquaExchange, which will also offer crop disease insurance. An MoU was signed between NABARD, APGB, and AquaExchange in the presence of senior dignitaries. The dignitaries included A.K. Sood, Deputy Managing Director, NABARD; A.V. Bhavani Shankar, CGM, NABARD; Mani Kumar, CGM, NABARD; M.R. Gopal, CGM, NABARD; Renu Nair, General Manager, Union Bank of India; Pramod Kumar Reddy, Chairman, APGB; AquaExchange founder and CEO Pavan Kosaraju, co-founder & COO Hemasundar D., and co-founder & CBO Kiran Kumar Bandi and others were present, according to a press release.