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Vipul Rastogi, COO, Astol Cleantech Pvt Ltd
What drives you to work in the cleaning industry?
My drivers to work in the cleaning industry are Competition, Sustainability & Innovation (IoT & Automation). India is an open economy and global organisations are shifting their worldwide operations to India. A strong and open economy means more competition, making it important for the cleaning industry to find ways to remain competitive in the busy modern marketplace.
‘Go Green’ is a very important concept for saving our Mother Earth. So as a cleaning industry member, I am making sure we provide products and processes which are more sustainable.
When it comes to cleaning technology, there has been a wealth of innovations that have changed the way that cleaning companies work and provide value for their customers. If we want to stay competitive in the modern marketplace, we need to stay up-to-date with these innovations and look for ways to incorporate new technologies into our own services and processes.
What is the single biggest lesson you have learnt from your senior management?
We are in a very competitive industry. Our human capital is the only factor which keeps us on top of industry. So the lesson I learnt is: ‘Take care of your human capital, provide the right training, nurture them, and they will keep you on the top of the industry’. For us, our human capital is our pride.
As a young leader, what qualities do you bring to the table?
- Relationship building: It is the foundation of our high-performing team
- Agility and adaptability: Stay on the cutting edge
- Innovation and creativity: Pushing my boundaries
- Employee motivation: For improving efficiency
- Collective decision making: It helps in getting the best results
What are the ways in which you are helping your company pivot to a new direction?
These will be:
- Picking goals that align with our business
- Understanding our target market and their problems and providing the best solution
- Strategise before we make any new move into the market
- Fast decision making
- Most important: ‘Always be Hungry’
What trends do you foresee in the market in the coming years?
Technology: Technology has influenced how cleaning companies manage their business activities and also how they communicate with their customers.
Customer research: Today, customers are more inclined to first research a company online before ordering services. Cleaning companies need to take advantage of this opportunity by engaging with their clients online and quickly responding to positive or negative reviews. Staying on top of your reviews creates a community of customers that feel like their recommendations and comments are being taken into account.
Inexpensive marketing channels: Cleaning companies have access to several affordable digital marketing channels including social media, a company blog, and Google Ads.
