Pangassius has fast growth rate and is the 3rd most important freshwater fish. While most fish rely on dissolved oxygen in the water to survive, Pangassius is capable of surviving on oxygen from the air. This characteristic allows them to cope with a variety of environmental conditions, making them more resilient to environmental change. This is a diverse group of fish from a range of different environments with a variety of mechanisms for breathing air.

Pangassius can be cultured in selected & newly developed bio-secured pond having a minimum area of 0.1 ha (25cents). Advanced fingerlings will be stocked at a high density of 25,000/ha. The unit cost for 1 ha area is about Rs. 18 lakh, which include Rs. 2.3 lakh for infrastructure development and Rs. 15.7 lakh for operational expenses. There is a grant @ 40% of unit cost for newly developed farm and @ 20% of the operational cost for the already developed farms.