Growing up amidst the vibrant hues and scents of rose farms, sisters Yeshoda and Rhea Karuturi were immersed in the world of flowers from an early age. This upbringing provided the sisters with a unique perspective on the floral industry, witnessing its evolution from fragmented markets to more organized systems.
While working within their family's cut flower business, the Karuturi sisters identified a significant gap in the market. Despite the scalability and organization in the bouquet flower sector, they observed that the traditional flower market—encompassing staples like jasmine, marigold, chrysanthemum, and bud roses—remained largely unorganized.
These flowers play an integral role in daily Indian life, used in morning prayers, personal adornment, and various forms of decoration. Yet, the supply chain for these blooms was riddled with inefficiencies, leading to up to 40% wastage—translating to approximately 22,800 acres of flowers discarded annually.
Motivated by this insight and leveraging their agricultural expertise, Yeshoda and Rhea co-founded Hoovu Fresh in 2019. Their mission: to revolutionize the traditional flower market by reducing the turnaround time from harvest to consumer to 12-24 hours and employing innovative packaging to extend shelf life by two to five times. Through these efforts, Hoovu Fresh aims to add value for both farmers and end customers, bringing much-needed efficiency to a longstanding industry.
Read more at Times of India