Founder Editor Team
Arup Kumar Ghosh is a 32-year-old college dropout hailing from Kolaghat, West Bengal, who is making crores in the marigold business.
Arup’s journey into floriculture began when he observed the stagnation in traditional farming methods and decided to explore a more lucrative avenue.
Growing up in one of West Bengal’s prime flower-producing regions, Arup understood the potential of floriculture in his hometown.
However, recognizing the need for innovation and awareness among local farmers, he made the bold decision to drop out of college in 2010, driven by a passion for flower farming.
Noticing the limitations of traditional farming profitability in his family’s paddy fields, Arup shifted his focus to floriculture, the commercial cultivation and propagation of flowers and ornamental plants.
Arup’s foray into the flower business began with a stint at Hyderabad’s Gudimalkapur Flower Market, where he worked for a modest monthly salary of Rs 3,500.
Returning to Kolaghat, Arup started selling marigold strings and gladiolus to flower shops in various cities, initially making a profit of Rs 2,000 to 3,000 on 100 strings.
The experience ignited his interest in flower farming, prompting him to lease 0.25 acres of land in 2011.
Despite facing initial setbacks with small and less profitable flowers, Arup’s determination led him to Thailand in 2011-end, where he discovered high-quality marigold varieties, especially the Tennis Ball Marigold.
Learning seed preparation techniques during a three-month stay, he returned to Kolaghat in 2012 armed with knowledge and 25 grams of each marigold variety’s seeds.
Expanding his cultivation to 1.5 acres, Arup harvested premium marigold flowers, selling them for Rs 100 per kg compared to the local variety’s Rs 90 per kg.
As demand surged, he expanded to 13 acres of leased land and began producing and selling marigold seeds and saplings.
His main markets include Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
