Loopworm wins India’s regulatory approval for insect-based aquafeed products

INDIA – Bangalore-based insect biotechnology company Loopworm has secured regulatory approval from the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) of India, allowing its insect-derived protein and fat products to be used directly as additives, attractants, and palatants in aquaculture nutrition and health at the farm level.

The milestone marks a paradigm shift in India’s aquaculture feed sector, enabling Loopworm to supply its sustainable insect-based ingredients directly to feed supplement and additive manufacturers. 

The approval is expected to boost feed consumption rates in farmed fish and crustaceans while supporting farmers during challenging weather conditions and disease outbreaks.

The certification positions Loopworm to bridge a critical gap in palatability and attractability for aquafeeds, a growing need as India’s aquaculture sector expands. 

The company has already begun exporting multiple consignments of its insect protein powder to one of the world’s largest salmon feed producers, underscoring its global ambitions.

“With this regulatory milestone, Loopworm will cater to both feed manufacturers and the broader aquaculture supplement ecosystem, expanding its addressable market in India’s growing aquaculture sector,” the company said in a statement.

Co-founder and CEO Ankit Alok Bagaria highlighted the significance of the approval: “This achievement reinforces our vision to create an impact in protein production through sustainable insect biotechnology. These certifications position Loopworm as a credible supplier, aligning with global pet food safety and animal feed standards. 

Whether it’s about dealing with pet food companies or animal feed manufacturers, these certifications highlight brand commitment in delivering safe, high-quality, and sustainable products.”

Loopworm confirmed it now holds certifications under ISO 22000, HACCP, CAA, and EU TRACES standards. Over the past year, the firm has built a distribution network spanning the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, and South America.

From aquafeed to biotech innovation

Founded by IIT Roorkee alumni Ankit Alok Bagaria and Abhi Gawri, Loopworm processes 6,000 tonnes of insects annually at its Bangalore facility, producing protein and oil for animal feed and aquaculture. But the company’s ambitions extend beyond traditional nutrition.

Earlier this year, Loopworm raised US$3.25 million in a Pre-Series A funding round led by WaterBridge Ventures and Enrission India Capital to scale its proprietary silkworm-based recombinant protein production platform. 

By using silkworms as “living factories,” Loopworm is developing a reactor-free alternative to conventional bioreactors, aiming to produce proteins for diagnostics, vaccines, and biopharmaceutical applications more quickly and affordably.

“Recombinant protein manufacturing has long been constrained by expensive infrastructure and slow scalability,” said Bagaria. “Our reactor-free approach using silkworms changes the economics entirely.”

The company has filed multiple patents, achieved technical breakthroughs in protein expression, and continues to build its compliance framework as it positions itself as a comprehensive biotech platform leveraging insect-derived biomolecules.

As Bagaria summed up, Loopworm’s vision is to combine sustainability with innovation: “Having proven the technology, we are now focusing on commercialising our recombinant protein production platform, initially targeting diagnostics, animal vaccines, and other applications with lower regulatory barriers.”

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