Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 10: India has taken a historic leap in marine biotechnology. Dr. Ajai Kumar Sonkar, Padma Shri awardee and eminent marine biologist, has unveiled a revolutionary achievement in aquaculture – onshore marine pearl farming technology. This is the world’s first innovation of its kind, set to transform pearl culture, sustainability, and global aquaculture practices.
This historic achievement has also received international recognition. The world’s most renowned and respected science magazine, Infofish International, has published Dr. Sonkar’s detailed scientific article in its latest issue (September–October 2025), making this innovation a focal point of discussion in the global scientific and aquaculture community.
For decades, pearl farming was restricted to offshore methods, particularly in ecologically sensitive regions such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These traditional practices were burdened by challenges such as predation, biofouling, storm risks, and high maintenance costs. Dr. Sonkar’s pioneering work has broken these barriers by developing a land-based pearl culture system that replicates natural marine conditions while enabling precise control of temperature, nutrition, and microbial interactions.
Key Achievements: World-first innovation: Transitioning pearl farming from sea to land through advanced biointelligent systems.
Unprecedented results: Oyster survival rates reached 98% under semi-natural onshore systems (compared to ~55% in conventional controlled systems).
Pearl yield: 119 pearls from 160 oysters, with nearly 60% graded as high-quality, exhibiting superior lustre and nacre thickness.
Sustainability milestone: Eliminated dependence on fragile reef ecosystems, reduced waste discharge, and enabled recycling of water and organic by-products.
Ethical and humane innovation: Use of magnesium sulphate anesthesia ensured minimal trauma during surgical implantation, setting new ethical standards in molluscan aquaculture.
Cost-effectiveness: Demonstrated that high-quality pearls can be produced without expensive nutrient-enriched feeds, making pearl farming accessible to small and medium-scale farmers.
A Global Paradigm Shift: This landmark achievement is not just a technical breakthrough – it is a paradigm shift in aquaculture. Dr. Sonkar’s biointelligent onshore model integrates natural microbial communities, including beneficial bacteriophages, to enhance oyster resilience, immune response, and pearl quality. This positions India at the forefront of sustainable marine biotechnology and presents a scalable model for adoption worldwide.