§1What this business is
Flower seedlings or saplings are planted in a greenhouse (the profile says the cover is usually polyethylene) where temperature and humidity are controlled. Plants are watered, fed and protected from pests, and flowers are cut at the right bloom stage, bundled, stored and sent to buyers. The profile names roses, gerberas, carnations, orchids and lilies. Buyers are florists and event planners, hotels, wedding and gift buyers, temples and, in time, export markets.
Capacity: Sales of ₹76.05 L a year of cut flowers (no stem count printed).
§2Is it right for you?
Who it is for
A farmer or horticulture graduate near a city flower market, temple town or tourist hub.
Who it is not for
Someone far from flower buyers or without cold storage or quick transport.
Advantages
- Flowers are needed every day for worship, weddings and events
- High margin in the profile — ₹27.37 L net on ₹76 L sales
- Greenhouse gives year-round, good-quality blooms
- Hotels and event planners give steady orders
Drawbacks
- Flowers are perishable — unsold stock is lost within days
- Prices crash after the wedding and festival season
- Pests and diseases spread fast under cover
- Moving flowers in hilly areas is slow
Skills you need
- Greenhouse climate control
- Pest and disease management
- Harvesting at the right bloom stage
- Selling to florists, mandis and event planners
Why difficulty 3/5: Growing under cover needs skill, and flowers must be sold within days.
§3Market
Who buys
- Florists and event planners
- Hotels and the hospitality sector
- Wedding and gift buyers
- Temples and religious functions
How it sells
- Flower mandis and wholesalers
- Direct supply to hotels and event planners
- Online flower retail
Good to know
- The profile puts the Indian floriculture market at ₹231.7 billion in 2022, expected to reach ₹460.6 billion by 2028.
- Challenges named: established competitors, seasonal swings, transport in hilly terrain and pest control.
§4Raw material & machinery
| Item | Qty | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse structure and set-up | 1 set | ₹8.00 L |
| Climate control systems | 1 set | ₹3.50 L |
| Irrigation system | 1 set | ₹1.00 L |
| Growing trays and pots | 1 set | ₹0.12 L |
| Seedling and transplanting equipment | 1 set | ₹0.20 L |
| Fertiliser and nutrient application equipment | 1 set | ₹0.35 L |
| Pest and disease control equipment | 1 set | ₹0.25 L |
| Harvesting tools | 1 set | ₹0.10 L |
| Packaging materials | 1 set | ₹0.15 L |
| Water storage and distribution | 1 set | ₹0.50 L |
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Fluoriculture In Glass House
- Seeds or saplings of roses, gerberas, carnations, orchids and liliesraw material ₹22.82 L a year in the profile
- Soil and growing mediummix depends on the flower variety
- Fertilisers and nutrientsfor growth and blooming
- Greenhouse coveringtypically polyethylene, per the profile
From: Uttarakhand DUY project profile — Fluoriculture In Glass House
§5Licences & registration
- Udyam registration
- GST registration
- Permit for groundwater or surface-water use where required (as listed in the profile)
- APEDA registration and a phytosanitary certificate to export
§6Schemes & subsidies
NHB's back-ended subsidy covers commercial horticulture under protected cover; CGTMSE can guarantee the loan. The profile also advises checking state horticulture subsidies.
§7Money
How the investment is worked out: DUY profile: plant and machinery ₹15.67 L (greenhouse structure ₹8.00 L, climate control ₹3.50 L and other items — ₹14.17 L, plus tax/transport ₹1.00 L and wiring ₹0.50 L), equipment and furniture ₹0.90 L, misc. fixed assets ₹0.02 L, pre-operative ₹0.15 L, working capital ₹6.34 L = ₹23.08 L. Land rented. Finance: own ₹9.23 L, bank ₹13.85 L (60%).
Working capital: Working capital ₹6.34 L for planting material, fertiliser and wages until the first harvest.
Year not printed on the DUY profile — check current machinery and material prices.
§8Export potential
Confirm the HS code in the DGFT ITC(HS) lookup before you export
Export council / board: APEDA
- Get an Import Export Code (IEC) from DGFT before the first shipment.
- Cut flowers need a phytosanitary certificate and a cold chain to the airport.
§9Risks — where people fail
- Price drop in the off-season
- Disease outbreak in the greenhouse
- Storm or snow damage to the structure
- Transport delays spoiling flowers
§1030 / 60 / 90-day plan
A general plan that applies to any business. A plan for this business will be added after research.
- Days 1–30: Visit a working greenhouse flower farming (floriculture) unit, ask 10 buyers about price and quantity, and get quotations from 3 suppliers.
- Days 31–60: Udyam and the licences you need (Udyam registration, GST registration), a project report (DPR), and the scheme or loan file.
- Days 61–90: Space and machines, trial production, and first deliveries to 10 customers.
§11Who to connect with
Associations, clusters and training institutes — the directory is being built. Connect
§12Watch
There is no episode on this business yet. Shows are coming soon on the Podcast page.
Want to start Greenhouse Flower Farming (Floriculture)?
DPR, loan file or registration — ask us on WhatsApp.
¶Sources
Data review: 6 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Report it. For information only — not legal or financial advice.