He brought Rose Convention to the Hyderabad

He brought Rose Convention to the Hyderabad
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Highlights

Love for roses is inborn in me. It is not an acquired hobby,\" said Ahmed Alam Khan, as he ushersed us into his office at the Hyderabad Deccan Cigarette factory in Musheerabad. Dressed in spotless white kurta and flowing white hair, he seemed to be in a hurry answering questions, taking calls in between and inviting rosarians in his inimitable style.

"Love for roses is inborn in me. It is not an acquired hobby," said Ahmed Alam Khan, as he ushersed us into his office at the Hyderabad Deccan Cigarette factory in Musheerabad. Dressed in spotless white kurta and flowing white hair, he seemed to be in a hurry answering questions, taking calls in between and inviting rosarians in his inimitable style.

With a week to go for the first ever World Federation of Rose Societies Regional Rose Convention to be held in Hyderabad between November 29 and December 2, Alam Khan is not taking any chances, for it is the first time the convention is coming to India, after a lot of persuasion.

Ahmed Alam Khan

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will be inaugurating the Convention. The conventions are normally held on a rotation basis in European countries.

Ahmed said, “The feeling is that we cannot organise such an event. I prevailed upon the federation to provide us the opportunity to showcase our organisational skills.”

With over 1,000 delegates from 37 countries making it to the event at Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) and several rosarians from different parts of the country confirming their participation, Alam Khan's dream is all set to fructify next week.

Ode to rose

The love for roses runs in the family. He is continuing the legacy that he inherited from his father, Shah Alam Khan, who was the president of the Indian Rose Federation. The 30,000 rose bushes with more than 1,000 varieties spread over 20 acres at Manneguda in Vikarabad that the family has nurtured painstakingly stands testimony to their passion.

The delegates will have a chance to visit the farm o the concluding day of the convention. In order to make the visit more enchanting, Alam Khan has specifically created a new garden that will boast of 15,000 roses of mesmerising hues.

Although his passion has no materialistic intentions, he believes that the convention will provide a platform for exporters, especially from Karnataka and Maharashtra, to strike deals with their counterparts from across the seven seas. India's market share on the global scale is negligible. Israel, despite its smallness in size, Accounts for a whopping 98 per cent of the global market!

Statistics do not matter to the genuine lovers of the king of flowers as all roads will lead to HICC, come November 29.

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