Fisheries Boat Engine Replacement Scheme (Karnataka)
Replace an engine older than 15 years on a registered motorised fishing boat and get 50% of the new engine cost back, capped at ₹1 lakh.
Run by: Department of Fisheries, Government of Karnataka
- Subsidy rate
- 50% of engine cost
- Subsidy cap
- Up to ₹1 lakh
- Engine age required
- Over 15 years old
- Announced in
- Karnataka Budget 2025-26
- Same-budget package
- ₹30cr coastal fishing-link roads
Overview
An outboard or inboard engine is the single most failure-prone part of a motorised fishing boat, and an engine past 15 years is both a breakdown risk and a safety hazard once a boat is out at sea. Karnataka announced the Engine Replacement Scheme in its 2025-26 state budget, presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, to help fishermen swap out these ageing engines for new ones.
The scheme pays 50% of the cost of a new engine, or ₹1 lakh, whichever is lower, when it replaces an engine more than 15 years old on a registered motorised fishing boat. It was announced alongside a wider fisheries package in the same budget — including funding for coastal fishing-link roads and a new state fisheries policy — as part of a push to modernise Karnataka's fishing fleet.
Because the subsidy is tied to boat registration and engine age rather than a blanket handout, it is meant for working fishermen replacing a genuinely old engine, not for buying a first engine or upgrading a newer one.
The engine scheme sat inside a broader coastal-fisheries package in the same budget: ₹30 crore for fishing-link roads in the coastal districts, a promised new state fisheries policy for the wider economic development of fisherfolk, relaxed fishing limits to encourage deep-sea fishing, and doubling the number of fisheries colleges in Mangaluru. A separate, distinct benefit in the same package gives select Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe fish vendors up to 50% (capped at ₹3 lakh) toward buying a four-wheeler for fish transport and sale — a different unit and a different eligibility list from the engine subsidy.
What you get
The benefit as the state notifies it — nothing here is an estimate.
- Covers 50% of the cost of a new outboard/inboard engine, capped at ₹1 lakh, when replacing an engine older than 15 years.
- Targets registered motorised fishing boats, taking ageing engines — the biggest breakdown and at-sea safety risk — off the water.
- Part of a wider Karnataka Budget 2025-26 fisheries package that also funds coastal fishing-link roads and a new state fisheries policy.
- Cuts the fisherman's upfront cost of a replacement engine, which can otherwise run into several lakh rupees for larger craft.
Who is eligible
State schemes usually state their criteria as prose rather than a checklist. This is that prose, unpacked — the department’s verification is what decides.
You qualify if
- Owner of a registered motorised fishing boat in Karnataka
- Existing engine on the boat is more than 15 years old
- Boat registration and ownership records held with the Department of Fisheries
- Application made through the department for the notified budget year
Not covered
- Unregistered or non-motorised fishing craft
- Engines less than 15 years old
- A boat already receiving an engine subsidy under another state or central scheme for the same replacement
Documents you need
Have these ready before you start — most rejections are a missing paper, not a missing right.
- Boat registration certificate
- Proof of the existing engine's age or purchase date
- Aadhaar card
- Bank account details for subsidy transfer
- Quotation or invoice for the replacement engine
How to apply
Fewer steps than a central scheme, and usually one office rather than a portal.
- 1
Confirm your boat and engine are eligible
Check that your fishing boat is registered with the Department of Fisheries and that the current engine is more than 15 years old.
- 2
Apply through the Department of Fisheries
Submit the application with boat registration, engine-age proof and a quotation for the replacement engine at your district fisheries office.
- 3
Buy the engine, claim the subsidy
After approval, purchase the new engine and submit the invoice; the subsidy — 50% of cost, up to ₹1 lakh — is released to the registered bank account.
If something goes wrong
Missing from the list, or payment stuck — here is the channel the department itself publishes for it.
- Delays or issues with the application can first be raised with the Department of Fisheries helpline at 8277200300 or your district fisheries office.
- If unresolved, escalate to Janaspandana (iPGRS) — Karnataka's general public-grievance system — on the toll-free helpline 1902, through the portal at ipgrs.karnataka.gov.in, or at a Bapuji Seva Kendra.
Frequently asked questions
How much will I actually get?
50% of the new engine's cost, or ₹1 lakh, whichever is lower — so a ₹1.5 lakh engine gets ₹75,000, while a ₹2.5 lakh engine is capped at ₹1 lakh.
My engine is 12 years old — can I apply?
No. The scheme is meant for engines older than 15 years; a 12-year-old engine doesn't qualify yet.
Does this cover the whole boat, or just the engine?
Just the engine — it is a replacement subsidy for the outboard/inboard motor on an already-registered motorised fishing boat, not for building or buying a new boat.
I heard about a vehicle subsidy for fish vendors in the same budget — is that the same scheme?
No, that is a separate benefit — up to 50% (capped at ₹3 lakh) for select Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe fish vendors buying a four-wheeler for fish transport and sale. It has its own eligibility list and is not part of the engine replacement subsidy.
What else was in the same fisheries budget package?
₹30 crore for coastal fishing-link roads, a promised new state fisheries policy, relaxed limits to encourage deep-sea fishing, and doubling the number of fisheries colleges in Mangaluru — all announced alongside the engine subsidy in Budget 2025-26.
Facts checked against fisheries.karnataka.gov.in on 8 September 2026. editorial policy.