A string of yellow chrysanthemum envelopes a bride’s hair bun. Green parrots crafted using coconut leaves interspersed with rows of jasmine garland adorn the backdrop of the stage. | A+A A- Kalpana Rajesh CHENNAI: A string of yellow chrysanthemum envelopes a bride’s hair bun. Green parrots crafted using coconut leaves interspersed with rows of jasmine garland adorn the backdrop of the stage. Baskets and trays made of bamboo leaves filled with fruits and flowers are kept for the ceremonies. These give you an image of an eco-friendly wedding. Tuticorin-based entrepreneur Kalpana Rajesh wanted an eco-friendly decoration for a ceremony at her home, seven years back. She mulled over options and scouted for alternatives but couldn’t find any in the market. One day in 2012, while flipping through the designs of bridal hair accessories in a fashion magazine, Rajesh felt that her mother could craft better ones. Soon, she developed an idea to set up her venture to use natural flowers instead of the commonly used artificial flowers in traditional hair accessories. She started a full-fledged business Pelli Poola Jada (floral hair accessories in Telugu) from home in 2012. They have an active presence on social media platforms. “It’s an all-women business who are first-time entrepreneurs. We started with hair accessories and then eventually expanded to floral jewellery and garlands based on requirements from our clients,” said Kalpana, who started her first branch in Hyderabad. Pelli Poola Jada has 45 franchises in India and abroad. This covers major cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and every district in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They also have a presence in Texas and Boston. Around three to 10 female employees work out of each office. The team is headed by a manager who caters to the demands of the clients. The […]