Floriculture is increasingly regarded as a viable diversification from the traditional field crops because of higher returns per unit area and the increasing habit of "Saying it with flowers" during all the occasions. Though the art of growing flowers is not new to India, but large-scale commercial cultivation, protected cultivation is relatively new in India. Enormous genetic diversity, varied agro climatic conditions, versatile human resources offer India a unique scope for diversification in new avenues which were not explored to a greater extent. With the opening up of international market in the WTO regime there is a free movement of floriculture products worldwide. In this context each and every country is having equal opportunity for trade in each other’s territory. Globally, more than 140 countries are involved in cultivation of floricultural crops. Among various countries Germany continues to be the highest consumer followed by Japan. India is having a better scope in the future as there is a shift in trend towards flowers and this can be gainfully exploited by country like India with high amount of diversity in indigenous flora.

Flowers are intricately entwined in the social fabric of our nation and no function is complete without flowers. The domestic industry is growing at annual rate of 7-8% per annum. The area under flowers has crossed to 1.91 lakh hectares during 2011-12 which is concentrated mostly in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute is a pioneer in scientific research on floricultural crops spearheaded by luminaries like Dr. B.P.Pal who laid a foundation for scientific breeding of flower crops in late 50’s and early 60’s. The work on flower crops was initiated in the Division of Genetics and later in the Division of Horticulture. Ever since its inception as a separate identity in the year 1983, the Division of Floriculture and Landscaping heralded an articulated and comprehensive research programmes on crop improvement using conventional and biotechnology tools, production in open and protected environments, technology dissemination for the benefit of farming fraternity. The Division has following mandates: