This 20-YO Introverted Ludhiana Girl Built a ₹5.28 Crore Biz in 2 Years Through Handicraft Crochet Flower Sale; Now Empowering 300+ Women

“I was considered an underdog by the people around me, but now I will show what a comeback truly means and what I can achieve as an entrepreneur.”

These were the words of 20-year-old Ludhiana-based college dropout and entrepreneur Vanshika Mittal, who has owned Floreal since 2024, when she was asked about how she felt about her achievements at such a young age.

“Since childhood, I used to see my grandmother knitting sweaters and table mats at home. Even back then, I would tell her, ‘Dadi, you make such beautiful things, why don’t you sell them?’ I think that thought stayed with me. I always felt that if something is made with so much talent and love, it deserves to reach more people,” Vanshika Mittal tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.

Recognising this spark, her parents always encouraged her to build something of her own.

Instead of moving out of Ludhiana, they motivated her to start from home. Taking it as a challenge, Vanshika founded Floreal at the age of 18. 

“I had got admission into Thapar University, Patiala, but my parents didn’t want me to move out of Ludhiana. They wanted me to study here and stay with them. At that time, I felt frustrated because I had plans of my own. But that frustration actually pushed me to start working on something of my own,” she says.

Today, the brand sells crochet and flower bouquet handicrafts made by local artisans, especially young women.

About Floreal Founder, Vanshika Mittal 

Coming from a business family, Vanshika grew up watching her parents run a visa consultancy in Ludhiana for over 10 years. She completed her schooling with PCM (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) in 2023. 

In the same year, she received an admission offer for B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering at Thapar University, Patiala. She was keen to join the course, as she felt her hometown did not have many strong academic institutions.

However, her parents wanted her to stay back in Ludhiana and pursue her education there so she could live with them. Given the circumstances, she declined the offer and instead enrolled in a BBA programme at Sri Aurobindo College of Commerce and Management, Ludhiana, in 2023.

In 2024, as she began focusing on her venture, she found it difficult to manage both college and business due to the strict 75% attendance requirement. Eventually, she decided to drop out and dedicate herself fully to building her brand.

After the business was automated, she started pursuing a BBA in distance education mode from Lovely Professional University.

Also Read: Once Worked As An Air Hostess, This 23-YO Woman Is Now Himachal Pradesh’s First Female Truck Vlogger & Viral On Social Media

Initial Motivations

Growing up in a family business environment for over a decade, she was exposed to conversations around clients, operations, and revenue from an early age, which shaped her entrepreneurial instincts. 

At home, she often watched her grandmother crochet sweaters and table mats. Even as a child, she used to wonder why these beautiful, handmade items were never sold. She would think that if something is made with so much time and effort, it should also earn money.

Years later, the idea became clearer when a college friend asked her to make a flower bouquet for his girlfriend. 

Instead of using real flowers that dry up in a few days, she decided to try making a bouquet using crochet, guided by her grandmother

She invested around Rs 1,000 from her pocket money in yarn and basic packaging material to create her first bouquet. The cost mainly included raw materials and boxes. She sold the bouquet for about Rs 800.

After that, she began posting her work on Instagram through her crochet page. Gradually, orders started coming in through DMs. In the very first month itself, she earned around Rs 30,000 in revenue by selling nearly 40 products, each priced between Rs 800 and Rs 900.

“When my friend asked me to suggest a bouquet for his girlfriend, I suddenly thought, why are we always gifting flowers that die in a few days? Why not make something that lasts forever and still feels special?” Vanshika tells Startup Pedia.

Initial Challenges

In the beginning, Vanshika’s biggest challenge was managing everything on her own. Around 25-30 orders first came through Instagram DMs.

As the page grew, she started receiving 100-200 messages every day. Replying to everyone, confirming designs, collecting payments, and making sure orders were delivered on time became difficult to handle alone.

Production was also a challenge. She began by teaching women in her neighbourhood through her house help. Slowly, she expanded to other nearby areas.

She had to regularly check samples and make sure every product met her standards while increasing the number of pieces being made.

At the same time, she was in college. With a strict 75% attendance rule, it became hard to balance classes and a growing business. Eventually, she decided to drop out and focus fully on Floreal.

On a personal level, she also struggled with confidence. She describes herself as shy and someone who was often underestimated. But instead of letting that hold her back, she used it as motivation to prove herself through her work.

About Floreal

Founded in 2024, Floreal is a Ludhiana-based crochet gifting brand built around a simple idea, turning traditional crochet techniques into modern-day gifting.

“Our core USP is that we’ve turned traditional crochet techniques into modern-day gifting. Our flowers last for years, while real ones fade away in days. We sell emotions wrapped in a bouquet, along with a free personalised note,” Vanshika tells Startup Pedia. 

Early orders came through Instagram DMs, with around 30-40 initial orders. She operated the business from a single room in her home along with her small team.

Her father had told her that the day her daily orders crossed 100, he would build a dedicated warehouse for her. Once that milestone was achieved, construction of the warehouse began and took approximately six months. 

The warehouse, a three-storey facility spread across 2,250 sq. ft., was completed in May 2025 with an investment of around Rs 50 lakh. The team then shifted from her home to the new warehouse facility.

Since scaling began in 2024, the company has likely fulfilled over 1 lakh orders so far. Today, the business processes roughly 700 orders per day, around 500 via Blinkit and 200 through its website.

Currently, the brand offers more than 130 SKUs, including single crochet flowers, sunflowers, roses, and tulip bouquets, mixed arrangements, premium jumbo bouquets, gift boxes, and small decorative items. Pricing starts at around Rs 200 and goes up to Rs 3,000, with the average order value ranging between Rs 700 and Rs 800.

Around 30 girls work at the warehouse, handling design, production, assembly, packaging, and logistics from Ludhiana. 

The primary customer base falls in the 18–34 age group, including college students, young couples, and newlyweds. The strongest demand comes from metro cities like Bangalore and Mumbai.

Also Read: Fired For Meeting With An Accident & Not Updating Her Manager, 26-YO Now Runs An Affordable Luxury Candle Brand - Eyes Rs 3 Lakh/Month

The Unit Economics

At an average order value (AOV) of Rs 799, the unit economics are as follows: 

• Rs 160 (20%) goes into the cost of goods sold: This includes the cost of making the product. The women’s labour cost is also included in this amount.

• Rs 200 (25%) is spent on marketing: This covers the money spent on promotions and acquiring customers.

• Rs 240 (30%) is paid as selling platform fees: This is the commission charged by the selling platform Blinkit.

• Rs 40 (5%) goes towards salaries and overhead expenses: This includes operational costs such as team salaries and other running expenses.

• Rs 160 (20%) remains as EBITDA: This is the earnings left after covering all the above costs.

Why Crochet is Now Popular Among GenZ?

Crochet has become popular among Gen Z because it fits into the aesthetic, handmade trend, feels more personal than mass-produced gifts, and aligns with the growing preference for long-lasting, sustainable products. 

“Crochet flowers stay for years, so they feel more special and meaningful. Also, this generation loves aesthetic and handmade products. We have just taken something traditional and presented it in a modern way,” she says.

Business Model and Distribution

The brand follows a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model, selling its products both through Blinkit and its own website.

On average, each order is valued at Rs 799. The business earns revenue per order and manages its costs across production, marketing, platform commissions, and operations, while maintaining a 20% EBITDA margin.

In terms of distribution, 60% of the sales come from Blinkit, making it the primary sales channel. The remaining 40% of orders are generated through the brand’s own website.

This mix allows the company to benefit from the high visibility and fast delivery offered by Blinkit, while also building a direct relationship with customers through its website.

Also Read: 24-YO From Pune Read 50 Books Instead Of Going For An MBA, Then Started A Frozen Protein Bites Brand Giving 50 Grams Of Protein Per Pack

Annual Revenue and Projection

In FY25, the business generated Rs 1.28 crore in annual revenue. During this period, the brand sold approximately 20,000 products and served a similar number of customers, as most purchases were single-order transactions.

In the second year, revenue has already reached Rs 4 crore on a year-to-date basis. The company has sold around 60,000 products across India so far, significantly increasing its customer base. 

This growth was driven by its launch on Blinkit, the setup of a dedicated performance marketing team, stronger brand positioning, and a steady rise in social media following and customer trust.

The founder further shared that by the end of the current year, the company is expected to touch Rs 6–7 crore in revenue. 

A key driver for this projection is the Valentine’s Day season, with February 2026 alone expected to contribute around Rs 1.2 crore in sales. 

Expansion to additional quick-commerce platforms like Instamart is also expected to further accelerate revenue growth.

A Message for Young Entrepreneurs

In her message, Vanshika believes that young entrepreneurs should start early and not wait for the perfect moment. According to her, there will always be doubts, but what matters is taking the first step. 

She also advises young founders to focus on building trust and understanding their customers rather than chasing quick money. For her, growth came from improving the product, delivering on time, and building a strong brand presence step by step.

“Don’t focus on quick money. Focus on your product, understand your customers, and build trust. If you keep improving and stay consistent, growth will follow on its own,” Ludhiana-based founder tells Startup Pedia.

Looking Ahead

Going ahead, Vanshika wants to scale Floreal into a larger gifting brand, and the focus is on expanding to more quick-commerce platforms beyond Blinkit, including Instamart, to strengthen distribution across cities and increase daily order volumes. 

She also plans to expand her team, especially by onboarding and training more women artisans to create employment opportunities.

In the long term, her ambition is to explore international markets and eventually open Floreal kiosks at airports, positioning the brand as a modern, long-lasting gifting option for travellers looking for meaningful souvenirs.

Also Read: This 20-YO Girl Brings NYC Dessert Culture to Delhi with Her Cloud Kitchen to Fill the Gap in Premium Global Desserts; Made ₹8L in 3 Months