Manipur woman turns passion of collecting wildflowers into profitable eco-friendly business

27-year-old Khundrakpam Rani turned her passion into a profitable business, making her efforts a source of inspiration for many young minds. The venture, named 'Dry Bloom,' transforms wild flowers, which are often considered waste, into beautiful gift items and accessories, turning them into valuable creations.
 

Rani, who hails from Tera Lukram Leirak in Imphal West, has always been fond of collecting dry flowers. In 2020, while pursuing her postgraduate degree in Botany, she began experimenting with transforming flowers on a trial basis. What started as a small venture has now grown into a well-established business, which she named 'Dry Bloom'.

“Dry Bloom is all about collection of dry flowers which I locally sourced from the hill areas of Manipur like Mao, Senapati etc. I stumbled upon this collection of wild flowers back in 2020 during the time of COVID. It was just like love at first sight. During the lock down period, I wanted to become financially independent taking up activities which I have an interest for. Suddenly, the idea of turning this habit into a new venture like a small start-up hit. So, without telling my mom I sourced out wild flower in small quantity as a trial,” said Rani. 
 

Recalling the early phase of her venture, Rani shared that initially, her parents were skeptical and not very supportive of her work. However, she later succeeded in convincing her mother, Khundrakpam Nandarani. Today, most of the practical work is handled by her mother. The venture progressed each year, now generating a steady source of income and even providing employment to at least two women as regular staff.
 

With the growing trend of using eco-friendly products due to environmental concerns, many individuals and institutions, both private and government, have placed orders for her products. As demand increased, they have even shipped items to places outside the state, including Delhi, Shillong, and Andhra Pradesh, among others.
 

She shared that they curate all kinds of flowers, starting from mini bouquets priced at Rs. 50, with options tailored to the customer's budget. They also offer other products such as hairpins, flower accessories, flower buns, and gift items made from dry flowers based on customer preferences.
 

During the recent turmoil, they faced a major setback, having to close down the business for months. However, things are now returning to normal. Previously, they would directly visit hill areas to source wild flowers, but the conflict created obstacles. Nonetheless, she adapted by ordering flowers through phone from friends in the hill districts, who would then deliver them via bus.
 

Rani further mentioned that to minimize her investment, they continued collecting wild flowers during the conflict from accessible areas like foothills, riversides, and vast lands.
 

In running her business, she faces many challenges. Yet, due to her resilience and courage, she continues the venture without any government support. Due to space constraints, she operates the business from a small work shed constructed on the rooftop of her building. Not a single inch of space on the roof is wasted, as various flowers are planted in flower pots.
 

She mentioned that to enhance the beauty of the bouquets, she combines them with flowers made from sola wood, which are imported from West Bengal.
 

Rani applied the knowledge she gained during her MSc in Botany to identify the species and determine whether they were harmful. She also used Google to assist in identifying the species.
 

The mother-daughter duo not only successfully runs the business but has also started providing training on how to make bouquets from dry flowers.