The document outlines a strategic plan for expanding a floriculture business in India, focusing on market opportunities, technological enhancements, and customer engagement. Key recommendations include entering the loose flower market, enhancing online platforms, and optimizing logistics through data analytics and GIS technology. The plan emphasizes sustainability, competition, and targeted marketing strategies to increase market share in tier 1 and tier 2 cities by 2024.

1. Yudhshastra - A National Level Operations
Case Study Competition
Tamasa Patra
Prathamesh Phansekar
Pratik Talekar

2. Petals of Progress : Farmerr’s Strategic Expansion in India
Market Research:
• The Indian floriculture market size reached INR 262.1 Billion in
2023. Market is expected to reach INR 714.6 Billion by 2032,
exhibiting growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4% during 2024-2032.
• Continuous advancements in technology & agricultural practices,
rising government initiatives, policies supporting
floriculture, emergence of organized retail and e-commerce
platforms across country are among key factors driving market
growth.
• Gross national disposable income is expected to expand 8.9% in
FY24 and 14.5% in FY23.
Middle class households transforming into upper
middle class Gross value output of floriculture in India
Recommendations for Website & Instagram:
The website shall include customer experience testimonials & reviews. This
educates & emotionally attaches customer.
Information about physical stores is absent on site & Instagram. Showing stores
will improve buying experience. These are the ones when we do not incur delivery
cost and impulse purchase is high.
Website can be more interactive by adding features like Wishlist, VR Images,
and Videos.
Activating AI chatbot assistant for 24/7 will help to solve the problems of
customers on time.
Develop an application to promote and help improving customer engagement.
Enter the Loose Flower Market in India:
Market Opportunity • Significant portion of market is loose flowers.
• Offer a reliable online platform to connect with a
wider network of buyers (hotels, restaurants, event
planners, florists)
• Introduce dedicated loose flower section on their
existing mobile app and website
• Bulk purchase/Purchase in Auction directly from
farmer so that they can offer competitive pricing
• Solves the issue of accessibility for loose flowers
Bundling/Cross Selling - Soft Toys, Chocolates, Cakes
• To compete with other firms, they need to match the offerings
• Offer "build-your-own" option where customers can select
individual flowers, soft toys, chocolates, and cakes to create their
own personalized gift basket.
• One-stop shopping and Bundling, and cross-selling can lead to
higher average order value as customers purchase additional items
• Tie-up with local gift and cake shops for just in time pickup of the
items
• Can be curated as per seasons – Diwali gifts, Rakshabhandan Gifts,
Holi Gifts, Christmas Gifts, etc.

3. City Expansion Strategy to Double TAM by 2024
Market Share Expansion in Existing Cities
Targeted Online Marketing: Use data to target ideal customers with
social media ads, SEO, and influencer marketing
Corporate Gifting Needs: As all 4 cities are IT hubs of India, by data
analytics we can identify peak gifting seasons and curate special
arrangements, marketing campaigns accordingly.
Workshops & Influencers: Host flower arranging workshops
(online/offline) with local influencers to build community and brand
loyalty.
Customization in Weddings: Collaborate with wedding planners
and venues popular for hosting grand Hyderabadi weddings. Offer
special packages that combine flower arrangements with wedding
venue decoration services.
Market Share Expansion in Tier 1 & 2 Cities
Factors Considered While Selecting Cities:
Population and Disposable Income | Proximity to Flower Production Areas
Air Connectivity | Market Saturation
HUB 1: PUNE (0 to 6 months)
• Easy Procurement: Proximity to
flower producing areas like Satara,
Talegaon, Maval, Mahabaleshwar.
• New Physical Store: New store at
Mumbai as mini fulfillment center &
this will help us to connect to tier 1
city like Ahmadabad and tier 2 cities
like Surat, Vadodara, Gandhinagar
and Nashik.
HUB 2: Kozhikode (3 to 12 months)
• Kerala boasts the largest area
under floriculture cultivation
• Kozhikode, Thrissur & Wayanad
contribute significantly to Kerala’s
floriculture industry. Kozhikode
connects other two.
• Wayanad & Kozhikode are on
northern Kerala which makes
them closer to Karnataka.
• From Thrissur, we can deliver in
Kochi (Tier 1 city).
Gandhinagar
Nashik
Pune
Kochi
Data analytics
will be used to
target
customers via
social media.
Expansion around Bangalore:
• Physical store / fulfilment
center will be opened in
Chennai being tier 1 city.
• Trichy & Vellore are targeted
tier 2 cities via social media. 0 to 6 months
Expansion around Delhi:
• Tier 1 cities like Gurgaon,
Noida & Faridabad.
• Ghaziabad, Rohtak &
Sonipat will be tier 2 cities
targeted via social media.
0 to 3 months

4. Procurement & Logistics Strategy
MANAGING THE OLD STOCK OF FLOWERS
E-AUCTION
JUST-IN-TIME (JIT) STRATEGY
IDENTIFICATION OF FAST-MOVERS
Analysis of historical sales data & advanced
data analytics can pinpoint flower varieties
consistently in high demand (e.g., roses,
lilies).
PARTNERSHIP WITH A THIRD-PARTIES
Partnering with third-party logistics provider
specializing in on-demand procurement &
delivery from farms with expertise in
floriculture.
ADVANCED DEMAND FORECASTING
Greater accuracy can be achieved by studying
weather patterns, upcoming holiday trends, &
social media signals to indicate potential
spikes in demand for specific flower types.
1. CUSTOMER ORDER: A customer places an
order on the website or app, which includes fast-
moving flowers. System will automatically
recognize the need for expedited delivery.
2. JIT ORDER TRIGGER: Instead of pulling from
existing stock which may not guarantee fresh
bloom, the system will trigger an immediate
procurement request to trusted network of third-
party suppliers.
3. FARM PROCUREMENT: The third-party will
source flowers directly from designated farms
within the stipulated time frame while ensuring
freshness and quality.
4. DIRECT DELIVERY: 3rd party will deliver
flowers to Farmerr's hub or directly to customer
depending on delivery model.
CLOUD-BASED INVENTORY SYSTEM
REAL-TIME INVENTORY TRACKING
Stock levels to be tracked across all
hubs and locations, with instant
alerts for low stock thresholds.
SHELF-LIFE TRACKING
Monitor flower arrival dates and expiry
dates to manage shelf life, prioritize
the older stock, and minimize wastage.
DEMAND FORECASTING TOOLS
Advanced forecasting algorithms that
factor in historical sales, seasonality,
and even weather patterns.
VENDOR MANAGEMENT MODULE
To track vendor information,
performance metrics, communication
history within the system.
LOGISTICS INTEGRATION
Connecting the inventory system with
logistics providers for real-time
shipment tracking & delivery updates.
REPORTING AND ANALYTICS
Generation of detailed reports on
inventory turnover, wastage, sales
trends, and vendor performance to
inform decision-making.
• PRIMARY GOAL: To dispose of older flower inventory quickly, preventing
wastage.
• SECONDARY GOAL: To reach new customer segments (bulk buyers, event
planners) who might not purchase through regular channels.
AUCTION LOGISTICS
LOT SIZES: Suitable lot sizes of flowers (e.g., bunches, crates) for bulk buyers will
be estimated by firm to optimize holding and ordering costs and inventory.
CLEAR DESCRIPTIONS: Detailed information about flower type, quantity,
condition, and any reserve price will be displayed on the website to build trust &
credibility & demonstrate a thorough understanding of products & potential uses.
IMAGES: High-quality images of flowers from multiple angles & accurate lighting
will be displayed to give buyers a comprehensive visual of the products.
PICKUP/DELIVERY: Pickup locations or delivery options will be clearly laid out to
prevent unwanted surprises & thereby avoid any potential order cancellations.
FIFO-DRIVEN BUSINESS MODEL
SMALL FREQUENT ORDERS: Smaller batches of flowers should be ordered more
frequently to minimize the time goods spend in storage and prevent stockpiles.
DYNAMIC PRICING: Prices for flower varieties may be adjusted downward as
they approach their expiry date to encourage faster purchases before they spoil.
OPTIMIZED STORAGE: Arrangement of storage areas to prioritize accessibility of
older stock by using designated sections for older & newer stock & stock rotation.
ALTERNATE DISPOSAL
CIRCULAR ECONOMY: A composting system can be setup to turn unsold flowers
into valuable, nutrient-rich fertilizers & thereby minimize adding to landfill waste.
DRIED FLOWER PRODUCTS: Creating dried flower arrangements or potpourri
from suitable varieties, to expand the product line & simultaneously utilize flowers
which are past their prime. This can be done through a dedicated section on the
Farmerr website.
HOW IT WILL WORK

5. Use
of
GIS
For
End-to-End
Supply
Chain
Management
Blockchain Integration for Dynamic
Pricing and Shipping
Win-Win Dynamic Pricing
•Offer lower prices for orders with flexible
delivery (Farmerr will choose most
appropriate delivery method)
•Adjust prices based on the flower variety's
shelf life. Fresher flowers with shorter shelf
life might command a premium price.
•Offer different pricing tiers based on the
chosen shipping method (air - fastest, most
expensive; road - balanced; rail - slowest,
most economical).
•Pricing Transparency: Customers can see
upfront pricing based on their delivery date
and preferred shipping method
Strategies for Successful Rail Implementation
Temperature-Controlled
Solutions - Refrigerated
railcars or insulated
containers within railcars
to maintain optimal
temperatures for delicate
flowers.
Partnerships with
Warehouses near Railway
Station: They can provide
last-mile delivery solutions
or cold storage facilities for
temperature-sensitive
flowers.
.
Phase 1
Geospatial Data:
• Acquire data from OSM or Tele Atlas covering
India with a focus on:
• High-resolution street networks
• Real-time traffic information for route
optimization
• Locations of flower markets, cold storage
facilities, and partner stores in existing cities.
Internal Data Integration:
• Integrate sales data with customer location
• Include historical delivery data with
timestamps to understand past delivery times
for different routes and areas.
• Integrate data on flower origin and quantities
from hubs to optimize inventory allocation
based on demand forecasts.
Phase 2
GIS System Development and Implementation:
Develop custom algorithm within the GIS
platform that considers:
• Distance between hubs and locations
• Real-time traffic data
• Time constraints for same-day deliveries
• Vehicle type (e.g., trucks for inter-city, bikes
for last-mile deliveries)
• Explore APIs from Google Maps Platform or
HERE Technologies for multi-stop route
optimization
Last-Mile Delivery Management
• Develop mobile application for delivery
personnel with features like:
• Real-time order updates and optimized
delivery routes.
• Navigation assistance.
• Proof-of-delivery capture.
Phase 3
Scaling Up and Market Expansion
Serviceable Available Market (SAM) Expansion
• Utilize the GIS for market analysis
• Proximity to existing procurement hubs or
potential new hubs for efficient flower
transportation.
New Procurement Hub Establishment:
• Use GIS insights to identify strategic locations
for new procurement hubs
Expanding Network
Combine elements of Hub and Spoke with Drop
Shipping
Advantages:
• Enter New Markets
• Can start with fast-moving items which are
easy to make
• Maintains central control while expanding fast
reach
Example of Alternate route suggested by GIS (Purple)
Flow map showing the origin of
different flowers
Revolution in Hub & Spoke Shipment Model
Rail transport is generally
cheaper than air freight for
bulk shipments over long
distances. GIS can suggest
appropriate mode by doing
Cost-benefit ratio analysis.
Sustainability: Rail
transport has lower carbon
footprint compared to air
freight.
Reliability during peak
traffic times or
unpredictable weather
conditions

6. Thank You :)