Floriculture for Devotional Garlands

§1What this business is

On a quarter to half acre — open field plus a small net house or polyhouse — you grow flowers for religious use, string them into garlands, sell loose flowers by weight to temples and puja-samagri sellers, and take custom orders for weddings and events. Much of Uttarakhand's garland supply now comes from the plains (Haridwar, Meerut, Haldwani), so local, fresher garlands near temple towns and the Char Dham route have an opening. Women SHG members can do the stringing.

Capacity: 20,000–30,000 garlands a year (15,000–20,000 marigold, 5,000–8,000 rose or jasmine) plus 1,000–1,500 kg of loose flowers.

§2Is it right for you?

Skills you need

• Flower growing and organic pest control
• Fast, neat garland stringing
• Planning harvests around Navratri, Diwali and the yatra season
• Getting regular orders from temples and samagri sellers

Why difficulty 2/5: Simple tools and skills, but a perishable product needs daily selling and careful planning.

§3Market

§4Raw material & machinery

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Floriculture for Devotional Garlands in Uttarakhand

• Seeds or saplings of marigold, rose, jasmine and tuberosefrom local nurseries or certified vendors
• Compost, cow dung, neem spray and wood ashfor organic cultivation
• Needles, threads, colored threads, beads and rudraksha insertsfor stringing and decorating garlands
• Cloth wraps, jute twine, banana leaves and wooden crateskeep garlands fresh in transport

From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Floriculture for Devotional Garlands in Uttarakhand

§5Licences & registration

1. Udyam registration
2. Trade licence from the local body for a shop or stall
3. GST registration if you sell taxable items (fresh flowers are generally exempt — confirm with a tax adviser)

We can do this registration for you

§6Schemes & subsidies

• MudraCentralActiveLoan up to ₹20 lakh, no collateral
• PMEGPCentralActive15–35% subsidy
• CGTMSECentralActiveNo collateral, up to ₹10 crore

The profile counts on DUY or MIDH capital grants of 20–40% for floriculture and a bank term loan of ₹6–7 L. MUDRA fits a loan of this size; PMEGP may fund the garland-making side as a processing activity (crop cultivation itself is not covered); CGTMSE backs collateral-free credit.

§7Money

How the investment is worked out: Infrastructure (shed, fencing, net house) ₹2.50–3.00 L + seeds, inputs and tools ₹2.00–2.25 L + first-year working capital ₹4.50–5.50 L + contingency ₹0.50 L = ₹9.50–11.25 L, excluding land. Means of finance: promoter ₹2.0–2.5 L, bank ₹6–7 L, DUY/MIDH grant ₹1.5–2.0 L.

Working capital: ₹4.50–5.50 L for the first year — labour, inputs, packaging, transport and marketing.

Year not printed on the DUY profile — check current prices.

How to prepare a loan file

§8Export potential

§9Risks — where people fail

• Short shelf life and wastage
• Hail, frost or heavy rain
• Peak-season price competition from the plains
• Depending on a few bulk buyers

§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan

A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.

1. Days 1–30: Visit a working floriculture for devotional garlands unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
2. Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, Trade licence from the local body for a shop or stall), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
3. Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.

§11Who to connect with

§12Watch

There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.

¶Sources

1. Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Floriculture for Devotional Garlands in Uttarakhand

Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.