From starting the day by offering flowers to the deity, watering plants, decorating them for ceremonies, using them for medicine, to placing them on the dead. Flowers form an integral part of India’s culture, speaking beyond the purpose of a mere beautifying element. In a spiritual sense, they denote purity, strength and selflessness. Take the Lotus for instance. The flower is often present in the Hindu folklore and is considered as a sacred flower with Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Saraswathi. In Buddhism, the Lotus symbolizes purity of the body, speech and mind as their growth of blossoming above the muddy waters represent detachment and aversion from desire. The demand for flowers is ever growing and is the reason that keeps the flower market hustling.
During festive seasons, there is a spike in demand as a lot of offices, organizations, streets including temples and animals are adorned with flowers to paint a gleeful and colorful mood. Leading hotels, keep the demand flowing, book their daily delivery of flowers to keep their ambience decorated. The flowers are not only sold within the country, but to other countries as well. This year, the export of floriculture products from India landed a value of Rs.7 billion according to Statista’s report. Top export destinations include the USA, UK, Netherlands, UAE, Germany, Japan and Canada.
An Organized Industry
Judging by the industry, the appearance and the way business runs is unorganized, comprising roadside vendors either clustered together or selling flowers individually selling a wide range of exotic flowers. Morning is when the fresh batch of flowers are delivered to the vendors and is also the primetime for sales. Later followed by online sellers and florists. The significant flower markets in the country are found in cities such as Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.
On the grounds of types, the floriculture industry is categorized into loose and cut flowers. The loose flowers are the ones that are often used for decorating and spiritual purposes such as in rituals, rangoli, garlands for idols among others which are picked or plucked from plants without its stalk and right below the calyx. They are the ones which are popular in demand across Asia, particularly in India. Whereas the cut flowers are the ones that are used in bouquets, which are exotic flowers that are attractive by colour and every aspect about its appearance.
Into the Roots of the Floriculture Market’s Growth Factors
The demand is mostly from the decorative industry, which is also growing in demand thanks to urbanization and the people celebrating festive and special occasions big time. The growing economy of the country is leading to rapid disposal incomes, as well as personal aspirations, motivating people to purchase gifts more. Not to mention, the cinematic experience that people strive to create through their weddings by decorating the venue, house and every object they could add beauty to, is also a major demand driver for the flower market.
As for the exotic flower market, its growth is supported by the growing exports to other countries, amid the domestic demand as well. Again, both modernization and the increasing trend of throwing major celebrations is the fodder nurturing the industry’s bloom. The exports to foreign countries are more during festivals such as Christmas. For the national purpose, this market also receives its share of growth boosters from the religious industry that uses these flowers for decorations, as well as, offerings during Deepawali. On the other hand, the demand for online industry in this space is growing thanks to the nuclear family population and more people moving to metropolitan cities.
By 2026, the floriculture industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.5 percent during the forecast period of 2022-2027 to reach INR 546.4 billion.
The floriculture culture industry is one of the most profitable sectors that promise generous income, as well as, employment opportunities to many Indian farmers.
More Returns than Traditional Crops
The recent popularity and growing acceptance of adapting eco-friendly lifestyles has widened the range of the floriculture industry. This enthralled farmers and gardening enthusiasts to grow and market flowers with burning passion. As a result, it promotes the need to spread awareness about floriculture among farmers as it is said to generate five times more returns than traditional crops.
Today, floriculture markets are blending into the modern lifestyle of people who are adapting to the evolving world at a fast rate. Likewise, the growth of modernization and the influence of western culture is said to cause an increased consumption of flowers.
On one hand, both traditional and modern flowers are driven by demand from the wedding and hospitality industry. On the other side, a number of startups in this area are also stepping in to offer unique services of their own.
Like most industries, the floriculture industry also has its clause. However, the abundant and varied base of the industry provides the leverage to annihilate these challenges.
Drawbacks
To name a few among the many are environment, infrastructure, and marketing that affect the exports of floricultural products. Even in this information age, there is inadequate information about emerging varieties or cultivation techniques that keep the farmers in the blind to grow flowers better compared to traditional techniques.
Although India is known for having a diverse-agro climatic and edaphic conditions, including rich plant diversity, it only shares about 0.6 percent of the global floriculture market, according to Invest India report. Yet, modernized transportation facilities and other measures are helping maintain the high growth rate of the sector.
Additionally, green technologies are a hope to improve the growth rate and trade of the flowers, but limited infrastructure results in poor performance of the industry.
At the production side, the industry faces challenges in the availability of basic inputs including the quality seeds and planting materials, efficient irrigation systems including skilled manpower is dependent on sufficient income to resolve these challenges.
However, the Government is aiding the industry by initiating the CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) floriculture mission, across 21 states and union territories by providing information to farmers to reposition them to meet import requirements. agro-technologies, new varieties, and value addition technologies provided by the CSIR institutions, farmers and entrepreneurs are able to increase their income. The FDI in the automatic route, allowed in the floriculture sector, enables smooth investment processes for international and national companies.