This Manipur businesswoman transformed her childhood love of flowers into a statewide enterprise that generates Rs 2 lakh every month. Her floral business is thriving in spite of obstacles, empowering women and reinventing creativity.
From the beautiful gomphrena to the sophisticated rose, Manipur’s varied topography is home to a wide range of flowers. In addition to adding to the area’s beauty, these blossoms help sustain local economies. Khundrakpam Rani, a 27-year-old entrepreneur from Tera Lukram Leirak in the Imphal West district, is one such person who has made a successful business out of her love of flowers.
Rani grew raised surrounded by flowers and became very fond of them, particularly the ones in her family’s garden. I’ve always had a thing for flowers. In our garden, we had an abundance of lovely flowers. With a smile of nostalgia, Rani recalls, “I loved seeing fresh flowers, but I hated seeing them wilt after being plucked.”
In their garden, they planted a variety of flowers, including gomphrena, dahlias, roses, celosias, helichrysum, chrysanthemums, and portulacas, according to Rani’s mother, Khundrakpam Nandarani. “I would watch my daughter be in awe of the flowers’ beauty as we spent hours caring for them,” Nandarani says.
Not surprisingly, Rani attended Manipur University to obtain her master’s degree in botany. Naturally, her passion for flowers led her to want to learn more about plants. I was also influenced by my mother’s passion for flowers. She would educate me about the various flowers, which motivated me to delve deeper into the realm of flora, she tells The Better India.
From doubt to encouragement: Her mother turned into her greatest ally.
However, she was indomitable in her resolve to become an entrepreneur. She claims that she calmed her mother by requesting more time to demonstrate my ability to create a successful business. She kept sharing her goods on Instagram, building a small but devoted following.
Her mother’s opinions evolved over time. “I observed the amount of work Rani was putting into this venture. I was impressed by her enthusiasm and made the decision to honor her efforts by lending a helping hand in her business,” adds Nandarani, who is now a full-fledged partner. “After a while, I realized that this was her vocation and made the decision to help her.”
How Rani began making money from her floral company
Rani had no idea how far she would go in the beginning, when she was juggling her business and her third year of master’s school. Despite obstacles brought on by the recent unrest in Manipur, Dry Bloom now makes about Rs 2 lakh a month.
We lost a lot of money during the upheaval; our profits fell to Rs 50,000,” she acknowledges. However, we are gradually regaining our footing.
As the company grew, Dry Bloom shipped its goods all over India, not just in Manipur. Five years ago, it was a modest business serving locally; today, it serves clients in Delhi, Bengaluru, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Andhra Pradesh.
