The Indian prawn is one of the major commercial prawn species of the world. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific from eastern and south-eastern Africa, through India, Malaysia and Indonesia to southern China and northern Australia. Adult shrimp grow to a length of about 22 cm (9 in) and live on the seabed to depths of about 90 m (300 ft).The early developmental stages take place in the sea before the larvae move into estuaries. They return to the sea as sub-adults.

For this, wild seed is collected or young shrimps are reared in hatcheries and kept in ponds as they grow. The ponds may be either extensive with reliance on natural foods, with rice paddy fields being used in India after the monsoon period, or semi-intensive or intensive, with controlled feeding. Harvesting is by drainage of the pond