Khyber Aquaculture, the company which opened a trout recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Kashmir, India, has received its Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) approval.
Khyber opened its RAS facility in 2026, and the company is targeting an eventual production of 7,000 metric tons (MT) over the next three to five years. Its current farm has a capacity of 1,500 MT, and the company plans to include hatchery, grow-out, processing, and packaging facilities.
The company said its facility gaining the FSSAI approval provides it a regulatory foundation to move forward on processing, packaging, storage, and distribution of its trout products.
“Securing our FSSAI licence is an important step as we move into the next phase of our business,” Khyber Aquaculture Director Yunus Trumboo said. “We have invested in building the production and processing infrastructure needed to grow trout at scale. Our focus now is to bring our sustainably farmed, clean and biosecure trout closer to consumers. We will also use Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), which uses a carefully controlled mix of carbon dioxide and nitrogen to help keep the trout fresh for longer.”
The company said with the new license in place, it is now planning to launch an initial range of products in the fresh, chilled, and frozen formats, including boneless skin-on portion cuts, fillets, and trout steaks.
“Our immediate priorities include the launch of packaged trout SKUs, opening of our first branded retail store and expansion of the cold-chain and distribution infrastructure required to take Himalayan trout to a wider consumer market,” Trumboo said.
The company said it plans to open a branded retail store at Karan Nagar in Jammu and Kashmir, offering all of the company’s products – including the option for customers being able to select a live trout and select it to be cleaned, cut, and packed in-store.
India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority is responsible for regulating food safety in the country on both domestic industries and food imports.
