When their nine-year-old marble supply business collapsed in 2005, pushing them under mounting debts, Ajay Kumar V, 55, and his wife Nithya V, 45, of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala were clueless about how to overcome the financial crisis. Despite staring at an uncertain and bleak future, the couple wasn’t ready to give up.
Determined to win back their life, which was crumbling under huge debt, they turned to fish farming. Their resilience and hard work helped them set up a successful fish farm on their two-acre plot at Kallikkad village in Thiruvananthapuram. For the last 16 years, the couple has been leading a happy and content life, earning close to Rs 10 lakh every year from their fish farm that breeds different varieties of fish, including ornamental fish.
“I felt like my world was crumbling when my marble and granite business collapsed. Everything I had worked for disappeared in front of my eyes. With no steady income and creditors knocking on the door, we decided to explore alternative ways to rebuild our life,” recalled Ajay Kumar.
Ajay Kumar, who grew up frequently visiting a fish hatchery near his home, decided to try his hand at fish farming after one of his well-wishers at the hatchery gave him confidence.
“One day, I dug up a small pit on my own in my land and filled it with water after using a sheet to prevent water from seeping into the soil. I sourced some fingerlings of ornamental fish like Guppy and deposited them in it. After a few months, I was surprised to see a lot of seedlings in it. My friend at the hatchery advised me that the pit was small considering the number of fingerlings in it and asked me to make another pit. He also gave me some tips on fish cultivation. That was the beginning of a new chapter in our life,” said Ajay Kumar, who had studied only up to tenth standard and got into the marble supply business in his hometown after spending years working for a company in Rajasthan.
Both Ajay Kumar and Nithya spent months learning fish farming techniques, attending workshops and training organized by the Department of Fisheries.
In just a year, their dedication began to pay off, with the first few harvests yielding high returns. “Seeing the farm grow brought hope back into our lives. Today, we grow not only ornamental fish but also fish varieties like Tilapia, Carp, Pearl and Kalanji, providing us with a steady income. In fact, the fish farm helped us to repay debts and secure our future,” Ajay Kumar said, adding that they have a regular set of customers who buy fish regularly from the farm.
