Innovative economic livelihood models: techno-economic feasibility analysis of cage fish culture for entrepreneurial development of marginalised communities, Kerala, India

Innovative economic livelihood models like cage culture systems leverage creativity, technology and local resources to empower marginalised communities by promoting entrepreneurship and economic self-reliance, leading to sustainable development and inclusive growth. The Science Technology and Innovation (STI) Hub initiatives sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India further this empowerment by providing access to knowledge, training and resources, significantly aiding the socio-economic development and inclusion of Scheduled Caste (SC) communities. The study highlights the benefits of SHGs in economic livelihood models like cage culture, particularly for SC communities, by enhancing economic opportunities, strengthening social bonds and fostering a collaborative approach to aquaculture for sustainable development and inclusive growth. The study revealed that cage fish farming led by Self-Help Groups (SHGs) is financially viable, as evidenced by a benefit–cost ratio exceeding one, and increases participants’ Composite Empowerment Index (CEI) from 1.04 to 3.61, showing marked improvements in economic empowerment, self-esteem, decision-making and confidence. While participants face challenges such as high capital investment and costs of seeds as well as feed, strong social networks and interventions of STI-Hub help to mitigate issues like poaching and lack of awareness about fisheries schemes. Planned interventions in the form of appropriate policy guidelines to establish local finfish hatcheries, supported by government incentives to stimulate private investment and develop affordable alternative feed to reduce operational costs, enhancing the sustainability of cage culture operations are outlined to harness the potential of the livelihood model.