A decade ago, Rahul Pawar made an unusual and risky choice - to grow flowers in the centre of India's biggest sugar producing state. Now, he is reaping the rewards of his 1.1 million rupee ($24,409) investment as increasingly affluent Indians order his bright blooms for their weddings and festivals.

The amount of land dedicated to flower production in India jumped 55 percent to 183,000 hectares in the recent five years, according to the National Horticulture Board of India. - Photos by Reuters