Surinder Sud
Regardless of India being the world’s second-largest producer of flowers, and the government proclaiming floriculture a 100 per cent export-oriented sunrise sector, the country’s share in the global flower market is dismally meagre. In 2023-24, India exported just 19,678 tonnes of floricultural products, worth ₹717.83 crore ($86.63 million). It amounts to merely 0.6 per cent of international trade in flowers. Besides, the bulk of the shipments generally comprise roses, lilies, carnations, and chrysanthemums. The export potential of other flowers, including some rare types of orchids and many exquisite native flowers, remains undertapped. So is the case with processed and value-added derivatives of flowers, such as dried flowers, flower-based decorative items, and high-end desi perfumes (attars) and essential oils. These products, if aptly promoted, can command a good market abroad.
The concern on this count is all the more grave, considering India’s inherent advantages to emerge as a major player in the global flower bazaar. The varied agro-climatic conditions in different parts of the country allow production of almost all types of flowers to meet the international demand throughout the year, particularly during winters, when supplies from several traditional flower-exporting countries dwindle sharply. Also, growing good-quality flowers in a controlled environment in greenhouses is relatively easy and cost-effective in India, making Indian flowers price-competitive in the international market. Unlike Western countries, polyhouses in India normally do not require artificial cooling in summers or heating in winter. Off-season cultivation of many exotic flowers, too, is possible in open fields or under controlled conditions. Abundant availability of cheap and skilled labour is an additional plus point. Moreover, India is geographically well located between two significant export destinations – Europe (with Holland being the hub of the flower trade), and East Asia (with Japan being a major consumption centre).
Studies have indicated that cultivation of flowers is more profitable than many traditional crops, especially in small and marginal farms, which constitute more than 90 per cent of the country’s landholdings. The Economic Survey 2024-25, which makes a special mention of floriculture among the lucrative agribusinesses, maintains that intercropping of flowering plants, along with conventional crops of cereals, pulses and oilseeds, is more remunerative than many prevailing cropping sequences. It also observes that there has been a noticeable shift in recent years from growing traditional flowers to export-focused cut flowers.
