Revolutionising the Indian Gifting Industry
Mr. Vikaas Gutgutia, MD & Founder, Ferns N Petals talks about the journey from a corner store florist small business into a global gifting chain
1. Growing your business from a single to multi-store chain is every entrepreneur’s dream. Had this always been your plan from the beginning and how did this operation come about?
I have always believed that successful execution of an idea is what separates the dreamers from the entrepreneurs and that is how the business has grown. I established the floral business with an objective to provide world-class facility and the highest quality to customers along with the widest variety of domestic & exotic flowers.
It all started 25 years back, while I was studying in Kolkata, and used to help my uncle in his flower business, when I developed interest and trading skills in being a florist. In 1994, I opened the first store of Ferns N Petals in the prime locality of Delhi. The air-conditioned ambience and beautiful varieties of flowers captivated the attention of the customers. After getting an excellent response, I expanded into other regions of Delhi and thus, the journey of delivering happiness continued. Today, we lead the floral, gifting and cakes industry, with 400 outlets in more than 120 cities pan-India and a presence across the world. We have emerged as a reputed brand with 12 verticals under the FNP umbrella. Today, apart from India (https://www.fnp.com/), we are also present in Dubai (https://www.fnp.ae/) and Singapore (https://www.fnp.sg/), and deliver in 170 countries.
2. With flowers having a short shelf life compared to other gifting products, kudos to establishing a presence across the length and breadth of India. How did you go about this mammoth task and what challenges fazed you in the beginning?
The biggest challenge was the logistics involved in delivering fresh flowers in hot conditions. Then, of course, there were a lot of technology issues, which resolved gradually. Since there is no institute for training florists or giving diplomas in flower decoration, we also faced the challenge of making the business sustainable to smaller entrepreneurs who are our company’s franchisees.
3. From your beginnings as a corner store florist shop in Delhi to 2-hour delivery in locations across India, we would love to hear more about the many milestones you achieved to reach your path to India’s largest online gift delivery company.
