Unlike many entrepreneurs who grow up in the industry they work in, Bhumika Aggarwal took a different path. She had a background in finance and technology—not in plants or farming. But everything changed after a chance visit to a horticulture exhibition in Pune. There, she saw a big gap in the market: big plant sellers were making good profits, while smaller sellers struggled to reach customers and grow their business.
At first, Bhumika thought digital marketing could help these small sellers. She started offering marketing services to nurseries and plant suppliers. But soon, she realized the problem was bigger. These businesses didn’t just need help getting noticed—they lacked proper systems to manage things like fresh stock, inventory, customer support, and delivery. This realization led Bhumika to create Urbot, a platform that offers both software tools and a marketplace to help plant businesses run smoothly and grow.
Empowering Growth Through Smart Solution
Urbot is not just another e-commerce site, It's an intelligent platform designed to streamline and elevate the entire horticultural value chain. On one hand, it provides consumers with a robust marketplace where they can purchase plants, planters, tools, fertilizers, gardening accessories, and even services like garden maintenance. On the other hand, it equips nurseries, gardeners, and other B2B vendors with a powerful digital toolkit, enabling them to manage inventory, track sales, and expand their customer base in real-time.
One of the platform’s most revolutionary offerings is the mobile app for gardeners, who often come from underprivileged backgrounds and have historically been underpaid and underutilized. Traditionally earning around Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month through sporadic and seasonal work, these workers now use Urbot to access regular gigs via geo-tagged service requests. The app allows them to respond to nearby job opportunities, clock in multiple appointments daily, and significantly boost their income and stability. By connecting gardeners with urban consumers directly and efficiently, Urbot is creating a win-win ecosystem for both parties.
Breaking Barriers, Building Trust
Like many pioneering entrepreneurs, Bhumika’s journey was far from smooth. As a young woman in her early twenties, stepping into a male-dominated industry with strong traditional underpinnings, she faced skepticism, doubt, and dismissiveness. Many stakeholders questioned her credibility, both due to her age and because she was proposing digital solutions in an industry largely unfamiliar with them.
However, Bhumika didn’t just push back, she pushed forward. By consistently delivering results, such as reducing waste for nurseries, increasing order volumes, and improving turnaround time for services, she slowly but surely earned trust and admiration. Today, Urbot is not only embraced by those same stakeholders but is also helping them adopt technology as a strategic advantage rather than a threat.
Tech-Driven Sustainability in Horticulture
What makes Urbot particularly inspiring is its commitment to sustainability. Beyond simply selling plants or gardening products, the platform encourages urban gardening, responsible plant care, and sustainable landscaping practices. It also addresses key industry pain points, such as the high wastage of perishable stock. Plants that remain unsold at nurseries often die due to lack of timely orders or poor storage and transport. Urbot tackles this by optimizing stock management, providing real-time demand forecasts, and facilitating faster movement from supplier to customer.
Moreover, the platform promotes eco-conscious gardening by curating products that are not only good for plants but also environmentally friendly. Whether it’s biodegradable pots or organic fertilizers, Urbot makes sustainability accessible and attractive for the everyday consumer.
Scaling Impact, Growing Green Futures
Looking into the future, Bhumika has ambitious plans to scale Urbot across multiple cities. She aims to establish physical outlets, expand logistics capabilities, and even introduce a tendering system for bulk horticultural contracts, a move that could greatly benefit large-scale landscapers, institutions, and government bodies. Urbot is also investing in training modules to upskill gardeners and vendors, ensuring that they not only use the platform but also grow with it.
As the platform expands, so does its impact. What started as a simple idea to help vendors sell better has evolved into a tech-powered movement, touching lives at every level, from daily wage gardeners and small nursery owners to eco-conscious city dwellers eager to add a touch of green to their lives.
A Word to Women Entrepreneurs: Just Start
When asked what advice she would give to other women dreaming of stepping into agriculture or technology, Bhumika offered a powerful reminder:
“Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Don’t be afraid to be the first or the youngest or the only one in the room. Just start. Take that first step. Everything else will follow.”
Her words echo the ethos of Urbot, one of bold beginnings, consistent growth, and a deep-rooted belief in creating value through innovation and empathy.
Urbot is more than a business, it’s a bridge between tradition and technology, between sustainability and scalability. In Bhumika Aggarwal’s hands, the horticulture sector is not only being digitized but also humanized, with technology empowering the very people who keep our cities green and our homes blooming.
