The Aquatic Quarantine Facility (AQF), located on the southeastern coast of India in Neelankarai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, serves as the country’s dedicated Centralised Shrimp Quarantine Unit, established by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) in 2009. This facility is one of its kind in Asia and adheres to the highest international standards required for quarantine units. The AQF was primarily established to mitigate the risks of pathogen entry associated with the transboundary shipment of the exotic Pacific white leg shrimp Penaeus vannamei to India, when the Indian Government permitted commercial culture of this exotic species. This facility provides quarantine services under the governance of the Ministry of Fisheries, Government of India. Setting a significant benchmark in the shrimp industry, the facility has successfully completed 16 years of service as of July 18, 2025, having quarantined over two and a half million brooders of P. vannamei and 36, 212 brooders of black tiger shrimp P. monodon while ensuring their specific pathogen-free status. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of shrimp imports to India over the past sixteen years, and highlights the pivotal role of AQF in enhancing shrimp exports and safeguarding the industry from diseases.