Vikaas Gutgutia
Vikaas Gutgutia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Occupation | Businessperson |
| Known for | Founding Ferns N Petals |
Vikaas Gutgutia is an Indian businessperson who founded Ferns N Petals (FNP), a flower and gifting company, in New Delhi in 1994.[1][2][3] The business later expanded into wedding-decoration, franchised-retail and e-commerce operations.[2][4]
Early life and education
Gutgutia grew up in Vidyasagar, near the border of West Bengal and what is now Jharkhand, in a family involved in growing and selling flowers.[5][4] He later studied commerce at the Bhawanipur Education Society College in Kolkata and worked after classes at his uncle's flower shop on Park Street.[5][4] After graduating, he spent a period in Mumbai looking for business opportunities before moving to Delhi in 1994.[1][2]
Career
Ferns N Petals
Gutgutia has said that he considered opening a florist in Delhi after a local shop delivered poor-quality flowers that he had ordered.[1][5][4] In 1994, he opened the first Ferns N Petals outlet in South Extension, New Delhi. The approximately 200-square-foot (19 m2) store began with four employees and ₹2.5 lakh invested by a friend.[4][5]
The business initially struggled with operating costs, the perishability of flowers and competition from roadside florists.[2][6] Forbes India, Scroll.in and Business Today reported that it took approximately seven years for the retail business to become profitable.[2][4][6] In 1997, a contract to decorate a wedding at the Taj Palace hotel led Gutgutia to expand FNP into wedding decoration.[2][4][5]
FNP introduced online ordering in 2002 and expanded its retail network through franchising.[4][5][7] By 2007, The Economic Times reported that the company operated 54 stores in 20 Indian cities, most of them through franchisees. Forbes India reported 139 stores in 61 cities in 2013.[7][2] To address difficulties in maintaining consistent floral designs across a growing network, Gutgutia recruited flower artisans and established a floral-design school in Delhi.[2]
Chatak Chaat
In 2006, Gutgutia established Chatak Chaat, a chain of air-conditioned outlets selling Indian street food.[2][7] The chain closed after approximately three years. Forbes India attributed its difficulties to shortages of trained staff, inconsistent standards and differences in customer preferences, and reported an estimated loss of ₹25 crore.[2] The Economic Times also reported a loss of approximately ₹25 crore, while Scroll.in reported that the business operated from 2006 to 2009 and closed after failing to maintain consistent standards across its outlets.[1][4] After the closure, Gutgutia reorganised FNP into separate operating divisions managed by senior executives.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Bhushan, Ratna (10 August 2012). "How a lovestruck student gave Vikaas Gutgutia the idea of Ferns N Petals". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Thomas, Prince Mathews (19 September 2013). "Ferns N Petals Aims to Go Global". Forbes India. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- ↑ Gupta, Rakesh; Pandit, Ajay (June 2012). "Ferns N Petals: Transforming an Unorganized Business into an Organized One". Asian Case Research Journal. 16 (1): 155–181. doi:10.1142/S0218927512500071.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Chaudhuri, Zinnia Ray (15 September 2017). "Ferns N Petals: How a small South Delhi shop bloomed into Indians' chosen florist". Scroll.in. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Janardhan, Arun (12 February 2021). "The founder of Ferns N Petals likes to say it with flowers". Mint Lounge. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- 1 2 Bhowmick, Sharmila (15 October 2022). "'Phoolwalas to cakewallahs': Delhi's Ferns N Petals is ready for the next bloom". Business Today. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Chatterjee, Paramita (22 October 2007). "The hero of India's floral retail". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 July 2026.