Indian floral startups are in full bloom

CHAMPS FLEUR, pan India

Flowers are bound to wither. The short shelf life may enhance their ephemeral appeal, but it also means that the standard bouquet doesn’t bloom for long. But Champs Fleur’s flowers last an entire year.

Founded by Hyderabad resident Chitra Das, this luxury floral brand uses a four-step preservation process undertaken in Japan. The arrangements stand out for their minimalism: roses, hydrangeas, baby’s breath, rice flowers and moss in vivid colours like blue, lavender, purple, nude, grey and even black. The flowers are arranged in glass or mirror boxes and single-stem arrangements, the packaging designed to make it possible to ship the products safely across India. She also incorporates these flowers into hairpieces and small accessories, creates custom floral displays and is now planning more India-inspired floral arrangements for the festive season.

Preserved roses may be her forte, but Das has now expanded to fresh flowers as well. She curates floral designs for intimate events and has launched subscription plans in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad this month. Deeply invested in sustainability, Das also emphasizes naturally-grown blooms and floral waste management. “Our (preserved) flowers are chemical-free and have a very low carbon footprint. We are also trying to use recyclable packaging," she says. “We take old flowers back from our clients and use them for composting or making natural incense sticks."

Available on Champsfleur.com; prices start at ₹1,299 for long-lasting floral arrangements and ₹799 for weekly subscriptions.

FIORELLA, pan India

Tanuj Dang and Samarth Gupta started Fiorella in Delhi right before Valentine’s Day in 2017, offering roses arranged in boxes. “It was a hit, even though we just had an Instagram page," Dang says. Two years later, the box bouquets are best-sellers and their operations have expanded to Mumbai, Amritsar, Surat, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

They have expanded into décor, spearheaded by their third partner, Jagteshwar Singh. Fiorella also stocks infinity roses and a floral subscription service is in the works. “We also want to open brick-and-mortar stores," says Dang. “We have found that a lot of our customers, especially in smaller cities, want to see what they buy.

Available via Instagram.com/fiorellaindia. Prices start at ₹1,400 for a box bouquet

THE LILY FACTORY, NCR

Oriental lilies might well be Delhi’s favourite flowers, judging by their abundance in city stores. Now the Capital is home to a subscription service dedicated to lilies. The Lily Factory’s founder, Pranav Chandra, began growing the flowers at his farm in Sohna in 2018. “We grow 10,000 lilies a day—most are supplied to vendors but we keep a selection of flowers for subscription," he says. Subscribers can choose from four plans spanning 7-10 days and receive white, pink or yellow lilies.

Available on Instagram.com/The-lily-factory. Prices start at ₹2,850 for monthly subscriptions

SHADES OF SPRING, Bengaluru

Nidhi Gupta, founder of the Bengaluru-based floral subscription service, believes flowers should not be limited to occasional gifting, as is usually the case in India. In an effort to reverse the trend, Gupta ties up with farmers across India to procure seasonal flowers, including offbeat picks like sunflowers, sweet Williams, giant chrysanthemums and eustoma. “We don’t make bouquets, but put them in a recyclable box with instructions on how customers can keep them fresh for five-seven days," she says.

The flowers are delivered every Saturday. Gupta, who started from her own residential society in 2017, delivers across Bengaluru and is planning a multi-city expansion.

Available on Shadesofspring.in. Prices start at ₹229 for weekly subscriptions