Monday, February 18, 2002		Article

FOR love and for money, flowers are a good business to be in. India's budding floriculture companies, fledglings just six years ago when the nation had its first flower auction, are eyeing a rosy future. And they have reasons to celebrate Valentine's Day this year despite a fall in prices caused by September 11 attacks, a leading industry official said last week.

Volumes are significantly up, online auctions are giving the business a technological edge, and the anti-Valentine protests of a right-wing Hindu leader has unwittingly aiding the domestic market, Karuturi Ramakrishna, managing director of Karuturi Networks Ltd told Reuters.

Card shop-owners in Mumbai said they planned to give the February 10 to 16 week a new name, "Prem Din Utsav" (Festival of Love) after right-wing Shiv Sena party headed by Bal Thackeray opposed February 14 celebrations as 'cultural corruption.'

"He's bringing excitement to Valentine's Day. He is breaking news for us," Ramakrishna, whose company exports flowers and also makes online auction software said.

Ramakrishna, who is an executive member of the South India Floriculture Association, said Bangalore's florists have multiplied to about 435 from a mere 15 around 1995.

"Today, in weddings most people prefer to carry a bouquet."

India's flower exports, nearly all roses and 70 per cent of them grown in the pleasant climes around the technology city of Bangalore, are set to touch 2,000 tonnes in the year to March, up from about 1,500 tonnes in the previous year.

Valentine's Day shipments have topped 400 tonnes this year, against 300 tonnes last year.

However, export revenue is expected to be flat at 1.0 billion rupees ($20.5 million) this year, with net export prices having fallen to about 10-14 rupees per stem from 15-20 rupees last year, Ramakrishna said.

The business, however, is looking up as a whole, and a domestic market of about 4.0 billion rupees has been created in the past few years, thanks to growing consumerism and economic growth, which have made bouquets more fashionable.

Karuturi Networks also runs an online auction site (www.rosebazar.com) with proprietary software. The site has developed a price index for roses and sends out data by messages to about 5,000 mobile phone users every day.

The share of European buyers in exports has come down to 40 per cent from 100 per cent when the exports set off, and new markets include the Middle East, Singapore and Malaysia, he said.

Phone firm adds insult to bill, apologises

NEW Zealand's largest phone company Telecom Corp apologised and offered compensation to a customer after charging him a "penalty for being an arrogant bastard."

Telecom has ordered an investigation into how Auckland businessman James Storrie received the NZ $ 337.50 ($140) charge shown on his monthly mobile phone bill.

"How can they speak to their clients like this? It's downright rude," Storrie told the New Zealand Herald newspaper, which carried his photograph holding the objectionable bill.

Telecom spokesman Martin Freeth said the company was appalled and embarrassed by the rude statement and had made an offer of compensation.

"We've apologised and taking steps to stop anything like this...it's an aberration," Freeth told Reuters.