The partnership is between Skylo, which bills itself as “the world’s first and most affordable end-to-end narrowband IoT solution”, and India’s National Federation of Fishers Cooperatives Ltd (FISHCOPFED).

The advanced solutions provided by Skylo include two-way messaging, SOS alerts, harvest reporting and sensor integration for capturing different water quality parameters – allowing fish farmers to make more informed and immediate decisions.

FISHCOPFED says that it will make Skylo’s cost-effective, ubiquitous technology available to its 33,000 members, bringing about the digitization of small-scale fishing and fish farming businesses in India.

Angira Agrawal, Skylo COO, said in a press release: “Technology will transform the fishery sector in four main ways: safety, productivity, sustainability, and greater profitability. The future of fisheries management depends on innovation. Skylo is providing an end-to-end data solution to digitise fleets and aquaculture farms at disruptively affordable prices to anyone who wants it.”

Rishikesh Kashyap, managing director of FISHCOPFED and COFFED, said: “After careful validation of multiple IoT solutions offered in the market and also after considering the 2-way messaging transponder solutions provided to multiple states and UTs for marine fishing, Skylo has been selected to initiate the demonstration of satellite-based IoT technology. FISHCOPFED is dedicated to the betterment of the entire fisheries ecosystem and this partnership is a major step towards that goal.”

“The Government of India has been prioritizing the rapid development and modernization of India’s fisheries sector with policy reform measures, including the transformative Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna (PMMSY). Complementing PMMSY and our honorable Prime Minister’s goal of doubling fisheries production with the Blue Revolution, Skylo will boost the safety of fishers and revamp the productivity and reach of the sector several fold,” Kashyap added.