Hazaribag Becomes India’s First Pearl Farming Cluster

Hazaribag in Jharkhand has been notified as India’s first pearl farming cluster under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The cluster has received an investment of ₹22 crore under a joint initiative of the Central government and the Jharkhand government.

Pearl Farming Cluster in India

A pearl farming cluster is a geographically defined area where pearl cultivation, training, processing, and market linkage are developed together. Hazaribag was officially notified as the Pearl Cluster on 30 August 2024 by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India. The initiative began as a pilot project in 2019-20 under a state plan in Jharkhand. It later developed into a structured ecosystem with training, production, and value addition components.

Training and Production Base

The Purty Agrotech Training Centre in Ranchi was established in 2024 with corporate CSR funds. It has trained more than 132 farmers in advanced pearl culture techniques. The National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) has recorded production of 1.02 lakh pearls from Hazaribag district alone. Jharkhand has also reported more than 800 trained pearl growers across the State as of February 2026.

Institutional Support and Species Used

A workshop on “Value Addition in Pearl Cluster” was organised in Hazaribag on 19 February 2025 by the Department of Fisheries, Government of India, and the Jharkhand State Fisheries Department, with support from NIFPHATT and NFDB. NABCONS is conducting a gap analysis for further development of the cluster. Jharkhand has proposed a brood bank for the Vietnamese mussel species Hyriopsis cumingii and has sought funds under PMMSY. St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi, has introduced certificate courses in pearl farming of six months to one-and-a-half years.

Important Facts for Exams

• PMMSY stands for Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, a central scheme for fisheries development.
• Hazaribag is located in Jharkhand, which is a landlocked State in eastern India.
• Hyriopsis cumingii is a freshwater mussel species used in pearl cultivation.
• NFDB stands for National Fisheries Development Board, a statutory body under the fisheries sector.

Hazaribag was notified as the Pearl Cluster on 30 August 2024. The cluster has become a reference point for pearl farming training, production, and value addition in Jharkhand.