From Forest Leaf to Flower: Vijay Biswa of Shillong
Vijay Biswa
The question this story follows:
“Vijay Biswa has mastered the craft and the teaching — can he now master the market, and turn his dry flower roses into a livelihood that reaches buyers across India?”
Vijay Biswa sculpts roses from corn and palm leaves in Shillong — 18 years of self-taught craft, a gift for teaching, and one honest problem: marketing.
Vijay Biswa has spent 18 years in Shillong turning dry leaves into roses. Self-taught, without a classroom or a teacher, his ideas simply came — and with his hands, he brought them to life. He sculpts dry flowers from corn leaves and palm leaves gathered from the forests of Meghalaya, producing bouquets, single stems, and decorative arrangements.
A single rose takes five minutes. His signature product — a stick of four roses — takes half an hour, priced at Rs 60. The materials are from the forest, the craft is sustainable, and the skill is transferable. Vijay has trained housewives and artisans across Shillong and Nongpoh, including through the Sericulture Department — dozens of lives touched.
The one thing Vijay has not mastered is marketing. He stands at the intersection of a beautiful craft and an audience that has not found him yet. Everything else, he has figured out.
Updates
Episode 1: Vijay Biswa — A Dry Leaf That Blooms in Shillong
Tucked away in the lush landscapes of Meghalaya, I have spent the last 18 years turning humble leaves into breathtaking works of art. My name is Vijay Biswa, and my gift for dry flower-making was never learned in a classroom — the ideas simply came, and with my hands, I brought them to life.
I specialise in dry flower handicrafts, with my signature creation being the dry flower bouquet. My flowers are sculpted from corn leaves and palm leaves, gathered straight from the forests of Meghalaya — natural, sustainable, and deeply rooted in the land I call home.
A single rose takes just five minutes to make. My signature product — a stick of four roses — comes together in about half an hour, each petal shaped with practiced patience. The finished sticks start at just Rs 60.
My work has never been just about flowers. It is about people. I have trained housewives and aspiring artisans across Shillong and Nongpoh, including through the Sericulture Department — every person who learns this craft gains more than a skill, they gain a livelihood.
Like many gifted craftspeople, my honest challenge is marketing — getting my art in front of the people who deserve to see it. Everything else, I have mastered. Because in my hands, a dry leaf does not wither. It blooms.