In the bustling streets of Mumbai, amidst the chaos and clamour, lies a sanctuary of beauty and elegance-Interflora India, spearheaded by the visionary entrepreneur Anuja Joshi. With a background in education and a successful stint running an IB school in Pune, Joshi was no stranger to bringing global best practices to the country. However, it was her passion for flowers and her desire to push her boundaries that led her to start Interflora India, a subsidiary of the 100-year-old legacy brand Interflora – The Flower Experts.
Anuja’s journey into the world of luxury floral gifting began with a bold leap of faith. Inspired by her travels abroad and captivated by the sheer variety and splendor of flowers, she envisioned bringing a similar floral experience to India, a vision that gave birth to Interflora India in 2017. As we started our conversation Anuja talked about her inspiration behind the transition from education to entrepreneurship, “Watching my father work hard to build something inspired me to do the same when I grew up. So, I quit my job and joined the family business. But I wanted to continue my father’s legacy by starting my own. So, I started reflecting on my travel experiences around the world—one thing I kept going back to was the beautiful, life-sized floral decor I saw everywhere, which didn’t exist in India at the time. So, I decided to bring that luxurious, floral lifestyle experience here. I discussed the idea with my husband, Tarun, and since Interflora India was exploring its way into India, it was a perfect marriage! She continued by adding the influence of being an educationist, “Being an educationist who set up and ran an IB school in Pune with 2000+ students for over 10 years, I have always been an advocate of bringing the best global practices to the country. I felt the urge to push my boundaries further and achieve something bigger and better, out of my comfort zone, thus Interflora happened.”
The Indian flower market was worth $2 billion but was fragmented and unorganized, with no branded player. Anuja shared the journey of founding Interflora India and her vision for revolutionizing the floral gifting and luxury décor landscape in the country, “Once I began my journey into the luxury floral industry, I realised that the entire supply chain was missing in India and we’d have to start from scratch. But that didn’t deter me. And in 2017, from a small factory space in Mahim, my entrepreneurial journey began! When we got our first order, I jumped with joy. I meticulously checked every flower, bouquet, and packaging before sending it out. After all, I didn’t want to just sell a bunch of flowers—I wanted to deliver experiences. And to build on that idea, we ventured into weddings and events. Two weddings later, we bagged a huge event—that of India’s biggest business tycoon! It felt unreal. It’s been a rollercoaster since, and I’ve faced many challenges–lack of logistics, training unskilled labour, and the biggest one being, not being taken seriously as a female entrepreneur. They’d say, ‘Get your husband, we’ll talk to him’. But you know what I’d do? I’d simply smile and showcase my work–the moment they’d lay eyes on it, they’d be silenced. And I think that determination to prove myself has borne fruit—in 5 years, we’ve expanded to 25 cities across India.” She added with pride.
As we are in the light of International Women’s Day, Anuja a recipient of the ‘Woman Entrepreneur of The Year’ award, shared her thoughts on the uniqueness of her brand, “I took upon the challenge of transforming the Indian Flower Market with its revolutionary practices with Interflora. Today, it has chalked out a niche for itself through sourcing, designing, and decorating. But what continues to drive the brand towards excellence is the focus on customer experience. We offer bespoke floral assortments, luxury hampers, corporate gifting solutions, and design & decor solutions for weddings, events & hotels. Interflora is a fast-paced fashion label that offers a unique floral experience through its in-house design team. They study global floral trends and colours to curate a mesmerizing catalogue of gifting options. Each floral assortment comes with a five-day freshness guarantee, a care guide, and special flower food to maintain water pH balance. Interflora delivers farm-fresh handcrafted bouquets in 4 hours across 25 cities, ensuring they match the website. The brand also focuses on innovation and global standards in floral sourcing, design, and décor.”
Over the years, Interflora India has carved a niche for itself in the luxury floral landscape, creating immaculate decor concepts for celebrities and high-profile events. From Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s intimate wedding to extravagant affairs for Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra, Interflora has left an indelible mark on the Indian gifting and decor scene. “Having been entrenched in the online market for an extensive period, our primary avenue for growth involves establishing a physical presence in major metro cities. By opening outlets, we aim to gauge customer response and provide a convenient option for on-the-go flower purchases. Simultaneously, our international reach extends to Dubai through a successful collaboration with IGP, while domestically in India, our focus is on penetrating smaller cities. This expansion involves the setup of 200 dark stores, strategically positioning us for broader market coverage and accessibility “
But Anuja’s vision extends beyond mere aesthetics. She is committed to sustainability and innovation, ensuring that every aspect of Interflora’s operations reflects its ethos of excellence and responsibility. “At Interflora India, sustainability is a core focus, and we are actively integrating eco-friendly practices into our operations. We prioritize sustainable sourcing, ensuring flowers are ethically and environmentally sourced. To minimize our environmental footprint, we’re implementing measures like energy efficiency and waste reduction. Emphasizing local and seasonal offerings, we support local growers and reduce transportation-related emissions. Our commitment includes transparent supply chain communication, recyclable packaging, and educational initiatives for customers. Collaborating with NGOs and obtaining certifications, we demonstrate our dedication to responsible practices. Employee engagement and continuous improvement are key, along with exploring innovative, environmentally friendly product designs. Incentives for customers and a focus on carbon offset programs further contribute to our holistic sustainability approach.” Anuja affirmed.
Under Anuja’s visionary leadership, Interflora India has flourished, delivering exceptional floral decor for some of the most prestigious weddings and social events. Multifaceted Anuja with her diverse expertise in education, and entrepreneurship talks about leveraging these skills to drive success and innovation at Interflora India. She is a skilled classical dancer and an expert in interior design, Anuja proudly said, “At Interflora India, my diverse background in education, entrepreneurship, classical dance, and interior design converges to drive innovation and success. My entrepreneurial mindset aids in identifying opportunities and managing risks. Education equips me with strategic planning and staff training. Classical dance fosters attention to detail and aesthetic appreciation, enhancing product and brand appeal. Interior design skills contribute to visually engaging physical spaces. I believe in cross-disciplinary innovation, encouraging collaboration for creative solutions. Customer-centricity, adaptability, and agility are integral to my approach, ensuring Interflora India stays ahead in the dynamic floral and gifting industry.” Interflora India is filling the gap in the market for luxury floral solutions and changing the way India experiences premium floral gifting and floral decor.
