The cut flower and foliage industry in India has developed from a predominantly traditional, local-market activity into a diversified high-value horticultural enterprise involving protected cultivation, improved planting material, cold-chain management, digital marketing, floral design, landscape services, and export-oriented production. India’s wide range of agro-climatic conditions permits the commercial cultivation of both temperate and tropical ornamentals, including rose, gerbera, carnation, chrysanthemum, gladiolus, tuberose, orchid, anthurium, lilium, heliconia, bird-of-paradise, gypsophila, statice, and several foliage crops. Recent industry expansion has been driven by urbanization, rising disposable incomes, growth in weddings and events, hospitality-sector demand, corporate gifting, e-commerce, interior landscaping, and consumer interest in indoor plants and sustainable décor. According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India had 397.89 thousand hectares under floriculture in 2024–25, producing 3,226.20 thousand tonnes of loose flowers and 1,039.29 thousand tonnes of cut flowers. Floriculture exports reached USD 92.55 million in 2025–26, with the United States, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Canada among the leading destinations.

The present review examines recent trends in India’s cut flower and foliage industry, with emphasis on changing production systems, protected cultivation, precision irrigation and fertigation, soilless media, tissue culture, climate-smart practices, postharvest technologies, value addition, digital commerce, market diversification, and sustainability. It also discusses persistent constraints, including fragmented holdings, inadequate cold-chain integration, costly air freight, poor price discovery, inconsistent quality, and vulnerability to climate variability. The review concludes that India can strengthen its position in domestic and international floriculture through cluster-based production, reliable planting-material systems, quality certification, improved logistics, market intelligence, branding, and circular-economy approaches for flower waste utilization.