Tiger Zinda Hai! The title of Salman Khan’s 2017 blockbuster has become an apt metaphor for the resurgence of India’s only indigenous commercially farmed shrimp species — the black tiger.
Once India’s flagship premium shrimp export, black tiger lost ground after 2010 as recurring outbreaks of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), import restrictions in key markets including the United States, Japan and the European Union, and the rapid rise of Vannamei shrimp, a species native to the eastern Pacific coast of the Americas, stretching from Mexico to Peru, eroded its dominance.
Now, after more than a decade in decline, the species has staged a remarkable recovery.
From a peak export value of $833 million on shipments of 76,480 tonnes in 2011-12, black tiger exports slumped to $108.9 million and 10,317 tonnes by 2020-21. Many in the industry had effectively written off the species. Yet within five years, the indigenous shrimp has engineered a revival, with exports climbing to $568.31 million on volumes of 61,780 tonnes in 2025-26, the highest level in 13 years. That represents more than a fourfold increase in value from the FY21 trough. Supported by a weaker rupee, export earnings touched a record ₹4,974 crore in local currency terms.
Source : Magzter
