The interviews and writing for this story were originally done in January 2025.

Lohith Reddy, a 31-year-old from Kommasandra in Bengaluru, Karnataka, traded a promising tech career to grow flowers — a decision that has blossomed into a Rs 7 lakh/month venture.

Coming from a family of traditional farmers, he was no stranger to the hard work and discipline required in agriculture. His family owned four acres of land in Kommasandra, where they grew crops like ragi and lentils.

After completing his engineering degree in electronics from Vemana Institute of Technology, VTU, he was expected to take up a secured job in the tech industry like many of his peers. But the young graduate had other plans.

Lohith’s interest in flowers began during his school years. His cousin, Gopal S Reddy, who had been growing and selling flowers since 1995, played a crucial role in sparking his curiosity. When his cousin shifted to protected cultivation farming, he was actively involved in the day-to-day activities.

“I used to look after the flowers, see how they grew, and that’s when my interest in commercial flower farming began,” Lohith tells The Better India. This on-ground experience with floriculture spurred a passion that later defined his professional journey.

Trading tech for floriculture

In 2013, Gopal began cultivating roses on his land, but eventually moved to the UK, leaving the farm behind. This opened up an opportunity for Lohith, who had always been passionate about flower cultivation, to take over and manage the farm.

“After completing my engineering, I realised I wanted to gain hands-on experience in flower farming,” he shares. This decision marked the beginning of the entrepreneur’s journey into the world of flowers. While continuing his brother’s rose cultivation, he began exploring floriculture extensively.

In 2018, Lohith took his first major step into commercial farming. “I built my farm with an investment of Rs 15 lakh, which included building a polyhouse for Rs 8 lakh, and purchasing 12,000

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