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Floral business booms in India
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Nivedita | 25 Sep, 2013
A rose is a rose but it
has been elbowed out by exotic flower varieties like chrysanthemums,
cymbidiums and anthuriums because people are into an experimenting mode
and want to try different blooms for decoration as the floral business
booms in India.
"For a contemporary feel, people choose imported
and Indian cut flowers like chrysanthemums, orchids, cymbidiums,
carnations, lilies and anthuriums. They want them to be fashioned into
dramatic floral arrangements," Vikaas Gutgutia of Ferns N Petals told agency.
"White lavender crown flowers from Thailand work really well in garlands and car decors," he added.
Gutgutia,
founder and managing director of FNP Pvt. Ltd, said there are more
exotic-looking flowers that are available and one of them is peonies,
considered a great replacement for roses.
"Then there are hydrangeas, vibrant orange-golden torches, yellow brassica and bright red ginger lilies," he added.
People are more into experimentation these days, he said.
"Bollywood
as a theme is popular in tier-I and tier-II cities. In metro cities,
people however like to experiment with themes like Floral Fantasia,
Punjabi Pind, Magical Garden and Fusion Sufi,"said Gutgutia.
No wonder the floral business is booming.
According
to a report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of
India (Assocham), the floriculture industry in India is poised at about
Rs.3,700 crore (37 bn rupees). Growing at the rate of 30 percent, it is
expected to cross Rs.8,000 crore (80 bn rupees/1.25 bn USD)) by 2015.
"The
floral market is growing at 30-40 percent year on year. Today people
have bigger wallets and are willing to go for large size purchases to
express their emotions. People don't mind paying Rs.1,000 to Rs.2,000
for a bunch of good flowers," said Gutgutia.
The boom has certainly benefited FNP.
Starting
with a single store in 1994 here, FNP now boasts of 157 outlets in 65
cities nationwide and delivers across 150 countries worldwide.
It recently opened its first international store in Kathmandu.
"We
thought of expanding in the international market to grow further. Since
Nepal is our neighbouring country, it's easier in terms of operations
and logistics. Moreover, Nepal and India also share a cultural
similarity, which is an added advantage in understanding the mindset of
our target audience," said Gutgutia.
Flowers are an integral part
of the big fat Indian weddings, but a lot of hard work goes behind
getting the right look to match the customers' demands these days.
"There
is a lot of hard work, sweat and toil that goes into making a grand
wedding, whether skilled labour, artists, carpenters or technicians," he
said.
And what about the price for the flower arrangements?
"In
the usual retail stores, it starts from as low as Rs.350 and can
increase according to the type of flowers and packing one wishes to use
as there is a lot of options available like paper packing, jute packing,
cellophane and net packing.
"In FNP's flagship store, the range
starts from Rs.750 onwards as there is a wide variety of exotic flowers
to choose from," he said.
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