Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture is the Research & Development arm of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), Ministry of Commerce & Industry. MPEDA, inspired by the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's vision of making India a technologically advanced nation, evolved this Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture and dedicated it to the development of the Indian Aquaculture Industry. RGCA is functioning as a society, registered under Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 since January 5th 1996.
RGCA is actively involved in the development of various Sustainable Aquaculture Technologies that are bio secure, eco friendly, traceable and with low carbon outputs, for seed production and grow out farming of various aquatic species, those having export potential in particular. RGCA is also developing a state-of-the-art technology transfer and training centre for disseminating the technologies developed at the various projects established at different locations in the country to the aquaculture industry in India. RGCA is governed by an Executive Committee comprising of members from offices of the MPEDA, MoC & I, ICAR, DBT, Commissioner of Fisheries from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu & Gujarat; Director of Fisheries of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the U.T of Pondicherry. Chairman MPEDA is the President RGCA. Presently Ms. Leena Nair, IAS, is President RGCA.