Why the Indian floral industry is blooming today

Buying flowers has transformed into a complex, layered affair, replete with subscription offers, exotic buds and arrangements for special occasions

It was the year 2000, and gifting options for occasions were limited to a bottle of Chardonnay or a bouquet from the local flower shop, put together by the local florist–rich in experience but lacking aesthetic. If you had enough time, you could sift through his then limited selection of mostly roses and carnations, toil over combinations and colour schemes and make yourself the perfect bouquet to be carried to your next party. It is now 2022; bouquets are a thing of the past and the perfect floral arrangement is a mere click away. It would perhaps consist of lilies, hydrangea, eucalyptus and even freshly-flown-in tulips, sitting comfortably in a crystal glass vase, ready to be delivered to your loved ones.

In March this year, Lighthouse India Fund III invested ₹ 200 crore ($US 27 million) in gifting platform Ferns N Petals (FNP) that was founded in 1994. FNP–which has a network of over 400 franchised stores across India–is also present in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Qatar, with plans to expand into the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. It started off as a tiny store based out of New Delhi, and turned into an international business with multiple revenue streams and several different verticals. FNP’s commercial success has led to the emergence of several floral boutiques across India. The floricultural landscape has become more competitive and even those who looked at flower arrangements as just another hobby took to crafting their own success story.

An upward trajectory

“The Indian floriculture market reached a value of ₹207 billion in 2021. We expect the market to reach ₹426 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.7 per cent during 2022-2027,” states  a report by the International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group (IMARC). Flowers have been integral to celebration in India, whether for religious ceremonies, wedding ceremonies or any festival. Domestic consumption has significantly increased, and has been attributed also to the adoption of practices from the West.

The IMARC report adds, “Modernisation and growing Western cultural influences have driven consumers to buy flowers on a number of occasions like Valentine’s day, marriages, anniversaries, birthdays, Friendship day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc… We expect the consumption of flowers to increase further, as trends of urbanization and influence of Western culture is expected to increase further in the coming years.” 

Branching out

Today, the contemporary floral landscape is a competitive one, with floral businesses following diverse models. Some are based on subscriptions, some on events, some focused on offline retail and some have banked their bets on the demand for unique and exotic imported flowers for a more discerning clientele. 

Arshiya Khanna, owner of New Delhi-based Kusum Flowers’, who graduated from the prestigious Covent Garden Academy of Flowers, says, “To me, floristry is an art, not a sole commercial venture. Each arrangement is bespoke in the way that it is design-based and no two arrangements are alike. Our pieces are for those who have a discerning eye for design and we are happy to have found that niche clientele. A lot in India are still of the mindset of not understanding a reasonable spend on flowers but we are lucky to have found our tribe.” Khanna was clear: Quality and luxury comes first and she imports most of her flowers from the Netherlands, Africa and New Zealand. “It took a lot of research and groundwork to get the right fit in terms of design and quality. A great design without the perfect flowers won’t do justice.” Khanna adds that she actively stays away from the event space and sticks to luxury retail. “[There are] too many opinions without the correct exposure, and most of them come to us with Pinterest images, wanting us to replicate the same.” 

Anu Rani of the well-known Flowers by Anu adds, “For me, maintaining my signature aesthetic is paramount. Sometimes Indian weddings don’t allow that and don’t let florists’ work to their maximum potential.” Having done flowers for weddings in the USA, she feels that while international venues and weddings are more organised, she always roots for homegrown florals when in India. “From Kashmir to Kerala, we have a range of climates across India some of which could be compared to countries like Thailand. We should promote local as much as we can.”

Market leaders

On the other end of the spectrum is wedding floral designer Amrish Pershad, a household name in the circuit with experience of working in the industry for 15 years. His name is synonymous with weddings as well as lifestyle shows. “It all started when I shifted my focus from a background of garment design and export to trying to [specialise in] wholesale flowers from my family’s fields in Palampur. I did one wedding as a favour to a friend and got ten more from acquaintances within a short span of time thereafter.” In 2001, Pershad made his debut as a floral designer with the much-loved film Monsoon Wedding directed by Mira Nair with his set design capabilities. Pershad soon became adept not only at designing for weddings but also at fashion show sets for Tarun Tahiliani, Rohit Bal and Ashima-Leena among others.

“Sometimes it is a case of too many cooks, when a wedding involves the clashing opinions of every family member. More often than not, they want to try two-three different aesthetics together. The mindset, too, has shifted, with entertainment becoming a big factor in weddings, and families wanting to spend more on live singers, DJs and the gamut of extra activities,” explains Pershad. He also refrains from using too many imported flowers, in an attempt to give back to the farmers and florists that still use this as their primary stream of income.

Another market leader is Interflora, with expertise in both the direct-to-consumer (D2C) as well as business-to-business (B2B) domains. Interflora works with over 200 farms across India. CEO Anuja Joshi has worked with the biggest business families in the country, including the Jindals, the Ambanis and the Mariwallas. She says, “With Interflora I not only want to transform the floral industry by offering a brand experience that inspires, delights our customers and enriches their lives, but also ensures we fulfill our responsibilities towards the ecosystem we thrive in as a company that is on the path to implementing conscious practices.” Nimble on their feet, Interflora was very quick to expand and implement best marketing practices through luxury tie-ups with international brands like Dior and Gucci, and Anamika Khanna and Masoom Minawala closer home. They now plan to open in more than 40 cities and add about 100 dark stores to the roster. Expansion plans will also include wellness and gifting products.

Boutique offerings

Given the upward mobility of several Indians today, bespoke floral subscription services now abound in most metros in the country. Names such as Shades of Spring, Fiora, The Flora, Bunchary, June Flowers and Flower Aura are just some of the companies with a presence in Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai and other cities. Flowers Anonymous, BloomBarn, One Magnolia Lane and Libellule are among the boutique services that offer exquisite, exotic and exclusive luxury floral blooms for homes, offices and events.

Kapil Khurana–co-founder of Fleur De Lis–a floral couture curator, says he began with an online presence delivering pan-India but quickly pivoted to an offline model. “Servicing clients in an offline format is easier and there is less room for error. Our products are a complete luxury gifting experience, and customers prefer a one-on-one interaction even if it is taking orders over the phone. That personal approach is missing in the online experience,” says Khurana. The company has several verticals that range from packaging to home design.

Mumbai-based BloomBarn has offerings that include fruit as well as flowers to make gifting more substantial. Started by mother-daughter duo Archana and Praachi Raniwala during the pandemic, they wanted to put a spin on the traditional art of gifting flowers and fruit with a luxe twist. “Our USP was having an element that is an edible part of all the arrangements. This worked well with our customer base and we started clocking in orders in the first week itself.” Coming from a luxury lifestyle journalism and communications background, Prachi set about strengthening the brands positioning online and soon was approached by several companies for their press kits and gifting needs. “We were soon doing bulk gifting for brands like Vero Moda, Ras Luxury Oils, Janavi and also a lot of restaurant launches. Depending on the brand and their requirements, our orders were anywhere between 50-250 boxes per brand. They all ranged from about ₹1,000-2,500, forming a chunk of our business even today.” BloomBarn also brings to the table unique concepts like ‘floral bars’ as they did for a recent event at Soho House in Mumbai and now have plans to recreate the same for gifting at traditional functions like a mehendi ceremony.

In a differentiated offering, it is not only fresh, exotic flowers that take centre stage, dried, sustainable flowers are also slowly climbing the ranks to compete head-to-head with the current market. Avika Jain, founder of The Poppy House, began with event design when she was tasked with a project that compelled her to use sustainable materials and dried flowers. “It was only then that I started my research and discovered a wealth of sustainable flowers, dried flowers and vegetation that I could use to decorate. I liked the economic viability and consciousness angle of using these and made it my signature.” A true business-head, Jain adds, “Passion projects are great but you need daily bread to oil the machine. I like the challenge of thematic briefs for other people–it is what allows me to then do what I want with the creative side.” The Poppy House and their signature dried flowers also piqued the interest of several big names in retail. She is currently working on the Diwali window displays of brands like Lladro, as well as a retail line of products where she delivers a dinner table set-up DIY kit for hosting at home.

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