How Ugaoo built a business out of saving people from killing plants

Ugaoo, founded by Siddhant Bhalinge, is an online gardening solutions company that aims to help people keep plants alive with minimal care, alleviating the fear of being poor plant caretakers

The company has grown significantly, boasting a 25-acre farm near Pune, nine offline stores in major Indian cities, and a 300-member team, with plans to reach Rs 100 crore in annual revenue by FY25

Inspired by Italian gardening practices, Bhalinge launched Ugaoo initially to sell vegetable seeds for urban homes but shifted focus to ornamental plants, which now constitute 60-70% of the company's revenue

Ugaoo capitalized on the trend of Millennials curating aesthetically pleasing homes, using plants as a gateway to reach more customers during the pandemic, when the demand for online nurseries surged

The company developed a patented cylindrical container for plant transportation, designed for aeration and durability, which has become a key aspect of their business model

Ugaoo's sales are diversified across its website, e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart, and offline retailers, with a significant portion of orders coming from major metros like Bengaluru and Mumbai

Expanding its product range, Ugaoo now offers a variety of gardening-related products and services, including landscaping projects for farmhouses and airports, with plans to open 100 retail stores by FY30

Bhalinge's vision includes making plants more affordable and accessible, leveraging Ugaoo's expanding infrastructure to offer competitive prices comparable to local nurseries