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Farm produce

Export cut flowers and foliage

Greenhouse roses, carnations and chrysanthemums, dried flowers and foliage. APEDA product; flown out with a phytosanitary certificate.

Free to exportHS 0603
HS code
0603
Cut flowers and buds, fresh or dried (0603: roses, carnations, orchids, chrysanthemums, lilies and others) and foliage, branches and grasses (0604).
Export policy
Free to export
Free under ITC(HS). Plants and plant parts of species in the Wild Life (Protection) Act schedules or CITES Appendix I are prohibited; wild-collected dried material needs proof of legal origin. Confirm the line on DGFT.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 58 mn
to 68 countries

What is exported

India exports fresh cut flowers grown in greenhouses around Bengaluru, Hosur and Pune, and a large trade in dried flowers and plant parts. Fresh roses peak before Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day and travel by air to the Netherlands, the UK, the Gulf and Japan. Dried and preserved flowers go by sea to Europe and the USA.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • RosesGreenhouse cut roses (red and coloured), graded by stem length.
  • Carnations, gerberas and chrysanthemumsGreenhouse flowers for florists and supermarkets.
  • Orchids and anthuriumsFrom Kerala and the North-East.
  • Dried flowers and plant partsDried, bleached and dyed flowers, pods and leaves for décor and potpourri.
  • Foliage (0604)Fresh ferns and leaves, and dried grasses and branches.

Where it is grown or made

  • KarnatakaBengaluru Rural, Doddaballapura and Chikkaballapur greenhouses; Bengaluru airport.
  • Tamil NaduHosur and Krishnagiri for roses; Nilgiris; Thoothukudi for dried flowers.
  • MaharashtraPune, Talegaon and Nashik greenhouse clusters.
  • West Bengal and KeralaKolkata dried-flower exporters; Kerala foliage and orchids.

Season

Fresh flowers peak before Valentine’s Day (14 February) and Mother’s Day; European demand is strongest from October to May, when local greenhouse supply is costly.

Export packing

  • Fresh flowers: bunches of 10 or 20 stems in sleeves, in ventilated corrugated boxes, pre-cooled to about 2–4 °C before air freight.
  • Dried flowers: cartons by sea; fumigation if the importer asks for it.

Who buys abroad

  • Dutch auction clocks and flower importers
  • Florist wholesalers in the UK, Gulf and Japan
  • Craft, décor and potpourri importers (dried flowers)

The quality buyers ask for

Stem length
Roses graded by length, e.g. 40, 50, 60, 70 cm and above
Bud and head size
Uniform within each bunch, to buyer or auction standard
Vase life
Buyers expect several days of vase life after arrival; pre-cooling and hydration are essential
Pest freedom
Free of thrips, mites, whitefly and other quarantine pests

Certificates

  • Phytosanitary certificateRequiredIssued by Plant Quarantine on PQMS for each consignment of plant material.
  • RCMCRequiredRegistration with the export promotion council or board for your product (not needed up to ₹3 lakh FOB per consignment since 15 Sep 2026).
  • GlobalG.A.P. / MPSOften askedFarm certifications asked for by European retailers and auctions.
  • FairtradeOften askedAsked for by some UK and EU supermarkets.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Fresh flowers go in air-freight boxes on pallets; dried flowers in cartons in 20-ft or 40-ft dry containers by sea.

How it travels

Air from Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi for fresh flowers; sea from Thoothukudi, Kolkata and Chennai for dried flowers.

Storage

Fresh flowers typically about 1–4 °C with high humidity from cutting to arrival; dried flowers dry and dark.

Shelf life

Fresh flowers last days, so the whole chain must move within 48–72 hours; dried flowers keep for months.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • Boxes: variety, colour, stem length, stems per bunch and bunches per box, grower or exporter code, and country of origin.
  • Dyed or treated dried flowers: declare treatment and any fumigation on the label and documents.
Where to get it tested

Plant Quarantine stations inspect consignments before issuing the phytosanitary certificate (pqms.cgg.gov.in). For pesticide residues, use an APEDA-recognised or NABL-accredited lab (apeda.gov.in; nabl-india.org).

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • APEDARegistration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC) for APEDA-scheduled products such as floriculture and herbal plants. Apply on the DGFT portal after you have your IEC.dgft.gov.in ↗
  • Plant Quarantine (DPPQS)Phytosanitary certificate for each consignment of plant material, applied for online on PQMS. Some importing countries also ask for an import permit or a registered production site.pqms.cgg.gov.in ↗

Quality and checks

  • Pest-free consignments: EU, UK and Japanese inspectors check for thrips, mites and other quarantine pests and reject or destroy infested lots.
  • Stem length, bud size, vase life and uniform grading per bunch, to the buyer or auction specification.
  • Pesticide residues within the importing country’s limits.
How to start small

Tie up with a greenhouse cluster near Bengaluru or Pune and send trial boxes of roses by air to a Gulf wholesaler before the February peak. Dried flowers are easier: ship a mixed carton by sea to a European craft importer. Since 15 September 2026, a consignment worth up to ₹3 lakh FOB does not need an RCMC (DGFT Notification 36/2026-27). Registrations that a law requires for the product still apply.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Breaking the cold chain at the airport — a few hours in the heat cuts vase life and the buyer rejects the lot.
  • Thrips or mites found at the EU border, leading to destruction and stricter checks on later shipments.
  • Selling on consignment to auctions without understanding the fees and price risk.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (5)
  1. DGFT — ITC(HS) export policy search (Schedule 2)
  2. APEDA — Floriculture and seeds (product profile and exports)
  3. APEDA — Register as exporter (RCMC is issued on the DGFT portal)
  4. Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) — PQMS portal for phytosanitary certificates
  5. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification 32/2024-25)

Trade data

Indian cut flowers and foliage exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 58 mn
+2.3% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +2.9%
US$ 56.3 mn → US$ 58 mn
Buyer countries
68
Average export price
US$ 3.78
per kg · 15,315 tonnes shipped · US$ 3.80 the year before
United States of America: US$ 17.5 mnUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 6 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 5.1 mnMalaysia: US$ 3.4 mnNetherlands: US$ 3.3 mnGermany: US$ 3.2 mnSingapore: US$ 3 mnCanada: US$ 2.1 mnChina: US$ 1.7 mnAustralia: US$ 1.4 mnFrance: US$ 1.1 mnJapan: US$ 820kNew Zealand: US$ 770kPoland: US$ 750kItaly: US$ 740kKuwait: US$ 490kMexico: US$ 460kSaudi Arabia: US$ 420kGreece: US$ 370kSpain: US$ 320kAustria: US$ 310kPhilippines: US$ 300kOman: US$ 280kUnited States of America: US$ 17.5 mnUnited States of AmericaUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 6 mnUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom: US$ 5.1 mnUnited KingdomMalaysia: US$ 3.4 mnMalaysiaNetherlands: US$ 3.3 mnGermany: US$ 3.2 mnSingapore: US$ 3 mnCanada: US$ 2.1 mnChina: US$ 1.7 mnChinaAustralia: US$ 1.4 mnAustraliaFrance: US$ 1.1 mnJapan: US$ 820kNew Zealand: US$ 770kPoland: US$ 750kItaly: US$ 740kKuwait: US$ 490kMexico: US$ 460kSaudi Arabia: US$ 420kGreece: US$ 370kSpain: US$ 320kAustria: US$ 310kPhilippines: US$ 300kOman: US$ 280kIndia
Where Indian cut flowers and foliage goes — among our 80 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 51.8 mn522020-212021-22: US$ 72.1 mn722021-222022-23: US$ 61.7 mn622022-232023-24: US$ 55.9 mn562023-242024-25: US$ 56.3 mn562024-252025-26: US$ 58 mn582025-26
India’s cut flowers and foliage exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2021-22, lowest in 2025-26 — a 5% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 3.93 per kg2021-22: US$ 3.96 per kg3.962022-23: US$ 3.91 per kg2024-25: US$ 3.80 per kg2025-26: US$ 3.78 per kg3.782020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian cut flowers and foliage · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 51.8 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 72.1 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 61.7 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 55.9 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 56.3 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 58 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 57.4 mn (US$ 48.3 mn – US$ 68.1 mn)572026-272027-28: US$ 56.9 mn (US$ 47 mn – US$ 68.9 mn)572027-28
India’s cut flowers and foliage exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 56.9 mn

Likely range US$ 47 mn to US$ 68.9 mn.

Trend
-0.8% a year
Fit (R²)
0.02 — weak, read with care
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1United States of AmericaUS$ 17.5 mn+9.7%
2United Arab EmiratesUS$ 6 mn+28.1%
3United KingdomUS$ 5.1 mn+37.6%
4MalaysiaUS$ 3.4 mn-4.3%
5NetherlandsUS$ 3.3 mn-24%
6GermanyUS$ 3.2 mn-14.1%
7SingaporeUS$ 3 mn+35.8%
8CanadaUS$ 2.1 mn-33.4%
9ChinaUS$ 1.7 mn+8.1%
10AustraliaUS$ 1.4 mn-4.8%
11FranceUS$ 1.1 mn-7.7%
12JapanUS$ 820k+3.8%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. United KingdomUS$ 3.7 mn → US$ 5.1 mn+37.6%
  2. SingaporeUS$ 2.2 mn → US$ 3 mn+35.8%
  3. United Arab EmiratesUS$ 4.7 mn → US$ 6 mn+28.1%

Low demand

  1. CanadaUS$ 3.2 mn → US$ 2.1 mn-33.4%
  2. PolandUS$ 1 mn → US$ 750k-27.9%
  3. NetherlandsUS$ 4.3 mn → US$ 3.3 mn-24%
  4. GermanyUS$ 3.7 mn → US$ 3.2 mn-14.1%

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Foliage, branches and other parts of plants, without flowers or flower buds, and grasses, mosses and… — other of hdg. 06040604 90 00US$ 28 mn-9.8%6,862 tonnesUS$ 4.09 per kgwas US$ 4.69
Other cut flwrs and flower buds suitable for boqets/for ornmntl purpses0603 90 00 · Flowers, cut, flowers and flower buds of a kind suitable for bouquets or ornamental purposes, dried, dyed…US$ 20.1 mn+38.1%5,074 tonnesUS$ 3.96 per kgwas US$ 3.26
Flowers, cut, roses, flowers and buds of a kind suitable for bouquets or ornamental purposes, fresh — roses0603 11 00US$ 6.3 mn+0.3%1,134 tonnesUS$ 5.53 per kgwas US$ 5.51
Other, frsh cut flowers and flower buds0603 19 00 · Flowers, cut, flowers and buds of a kind suitable for bouquets or ornamental purposes, fresh, other than…US$ 2.6 mn-27.5%1,860 tonnesUS$ 1.39 per kgwas US$ 1.66
Foliage, branches and other parts of plants, without flowers or flower buds, and grasses, mosses and… — fresh of hdg. 06040604 20 00US$ 780k+11.4%362 tonnesUS$ 2.15 per kgwas US$ 1.68
Flowers, cut, chrysanthemums, flowers and buds of a kind suitable for bouquets or ornamental purposes, fresh — chrysanthemums0603 14 00US$ 110k+22.2%19 tonnesUS$ 5.76 per kgwas US$ 4.14
Flowers, cut, carnations, flowers and buds of a kind suitable for bouquets or ornamental purposes, fresh — carnations0603 12 00US$ 40k+33.3%2.6 tonnesUS$ 15.21 per kgwas US$ 18.21
Flowers, cut, lilies, flowers and flower buds of a kind suitable for bouquets or ornamental purposes, fresh — lilies (lilium spp.)0603 15 00US$ 10k0%0.5 tonnesUS$ 18.83 per kgwas US$ 14.56

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 10.9 bn
2023
India among exporters
#25
of 135 countries
India’s share of world exports
0.5%
US$ 54.9 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 12 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1NetherlandsUS$ 5.31 bn 44.2%
  2. 2ColombiaUS$ 2.1 bn 17.5%
  3. 3EcuadorUS$ 994 mn 8.3%
  4. 4KenyaUS$ 664 mn 5.5%
  5. 5ItalyUS$ 313 mn 2.6%
  6. 6EthiopiaUS$ 231 mn 1.9%
  7. 7ChinaUS$ 218 mn 1.8%
  8. 8CanadaUS$ 216 mn 1.8%
  9. 9DenmarkUS$ 161 mn 1.3%
  10. 10NigeriaUS$ 157 mn 1.3%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 2.85 bn 26.2%
  2. 2NetherlandsUS$ 1.47 bn 13.5%
  3. 3GermanyUS$ 1.43 bn 13.1%
  4. 4United KingdomUS$ 837 mn 7.7%
  5. 5FranceUS$ 455 mn 4.2%
  6. 6JapanUS$ 385 mn 3.5%
  7. 7SwitzerlandUS$ 243 mn 2.2%
  8. 8PolandUS$ 232 mn 2.1%
  9. 9ItalyUS$ 224 mn 2.1%
  10. 10CanadaUS$ 203 mn 1.9%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 2.97 bnIndia 0.7% · gap US$ 2.95 bn
NetherlandsUS$ 1.55 bnIndia 0.3% · gap US$ 1.55 bn
GermanyUS$ 1.43 bnIndia 0.3% · gap US$ 1.43 bn
United KingdomUS$ 837 mnIndia 0.3% · gap US$ 835 mn
FranceUS$ 445 mnIndia 0.4% · gap US$ 443 mn
JapanUS$ 371 mnIndia 0.2% · gap US$ 370 mn
ItalyUS$ 229 mnIndia 0.3% · gap US$ 228 mn
CanadaUS$ 212 mnIndia 1.4% · gap US$ 209 mn
SpainUS$ 182 mnIndia 0.3% · gap US$ 181 mn
Saudi ArabiaUS$ 111 mnIndia 0.5% · gap US$ 110 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export cut flowers and foliage

The world cut-flower trade centres on the Netherlands, with Kenya, Colombia, Ecuador and Ethiopia as the main growers for export. India is a small player in fresh flowers but strong in dried flowers and plant parts. Air-freight cost and cold-chain gaps limit fresh exports, while demand peaks around Valentine’s Day and other festivals. Openings lie in nearby markets (the Gulf, Singapore, Japan), in dried and preserved flowers, and in foliage.

  1. 01Pick crop, market and season

    Plan production to hit Valentine’s Day and winter demand in Europe and the Gulf.

  2. 02Harvest and grade

    Cut at the right bud stage, grade by stem length and bunch uniformly.

  3. 03Pre-cool and pack

    Hydrate and pre-cool in a cold room, then pack in ventilated boxes.

  4. 04Get the phytosanitary certificate

    Apply on PQMS for inspection and the certificate before the flight.

  5. 05Fly with an unbroken cold chain

    Use a reefer truck to the airport and a cold store at the cargo terminal; file the shipping bill and air waybill.

  6. 06Get paid and close the file

    Send the original documents through your bank (or to the buyer if paid in advance). Once the money arrives, get the e-BRC and claim RoDTEP, RoSCTL or drawback where they apply.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting cut flowers and foliage

Which flowers sell best abroad?
Roses lead among fresh flowers; dried flowers and foliage are India’s strongest floriculture exports.
Do I need APEDA registration?
Floriculture is an APEDA product, so the RCMC comes from APEDA (not needed for consignments up to ₹3 lakh FOB since 15 Sep 2026).
Can I sell through the Dutch auction?
Yes, through an importer or as a registered supplier, but prices are not fixed and fees apply; many Indian exporters prefer fixed-price buyers.
Why are fresh flowers rejected?
Pests found at inspection, short vase life after cold-chain breaks, and uneven grading.
What RoDTEP applies?
Cut flowers and foliage (0603 and 0604) earn 0.9% of FOB with no rupee cap.
Sources (5)
  1. APEDA — Floriculture and seeds (product profile and exports)
  2. APEDA — Register as exporter (RCMC is issued on the DGFT portal)
  3. Plant Quarantine (DPPQS) — PQMS portal for phytosanitary certificates
  4. DGFT — Appendix 4R, RoDTEP schedule for DTA exports w.e.f. 10 Oct 2024 (Notification 32/2024-25)
  5. NABL — laboratory search

Who buys Indian cut flowers and foliage

All countries →

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