Vikaas Gutgutia

Vikaas Gutgutia is an Indian businessperson who founded Ferns N Petals (FNP), a flower and gifting company, in New Delhi in 1994. The business later expanded into wedding-decoration, franchised-retail and e-commerce operations.

Early life and education

Gutgutia grew up in Vidyasagar, near the border of West Bengal and what is now Jharkhand, in a family involved in growing and selling flowers. Forbes India, Scroll.in and Business Today reported that it took approximately seven years for the retail business to become profitable. By 2007, The Economic Times reported that the company operated 54 stores in 20 Indian cities, most of them through franchisees. Forbes India reported 139 stores in 61 cities in 2013. To address difficulties in maintaining consistent floral designs across a growing network, Gutgutia recruited flower artisans and established a floral-design school in Delhi.

Chatak Chaat

In 2006, Gutgutia established Chatak Chaat, a chain of air-conditioned outlets selling Indian street food. The chain closed after approximately three years. Forbes India attributed its difficulties to shortages of trained staff, inconsistent standards and differences in customer preferences, and reported an estimated loss of ₹25 crore. The Economic Times also reported a loss of approximately ₹25 crore, while Scroll.in reported that the business operated from 2006 to 2009 and closed after failing to maintain consistent standards across its outlets. After the closure, Gutgutia reorganised FNP into separate operating divisions managed by senior executives.