Challenging the Unchallenged!

“We are cleaners… we are professionals too.” Champions aren’t made on paper; they are made from something they have deep inside them — a desire, a dream and a vision. Clean India Challenge provided the platform to bring to fore the cleaning talents of janitors in a lively competition held at a pan-India level in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. Filled with gratitude, elated to be among professionals and overjoyed with a new learning experience, the janitors & supervisors of facility service providers competed to prove their ability to clean. About 17 teams participated… there was hardly any loser, as the ray of confidence and hope in

each one’s eyes portrayed victory.

January 21, 2016, winners of the regional rounds – West, South and North – will compete for fun, pride and excellence in facility services. In the regional rounds, while the selected five teams in each zone flexed their muscles and showed off their abilities in competitions that included floor cleaning, equipment operations, window cleaning and more, the final round will culminate with a housekeeping quiz among the contestants.

Organised by Clean India Journal, Clean India Challenge tests the abilities, knowledge, performance, quality

deliverance, speed, vigilance and cautiousness of the custodians of cleaning. In the recently concluded regional rounds, the Janitors and Supervisors in the housekeeping segment took part and competed at various levels to perform different cleaning tasks under strict timelines and supervision of jury members. The contest was a step in the direction to acknowledge the importance of those who make cleanliness possible as well as recognise their contribution to cleaning at the grassroots level.

Regional Round, South

The Clean India Challenge’s South zone round was held on November 08, 2016 at the Institute of Hotel Management, Bengaluru. The solo sponsor of the event was Charnock, while the Institute of Hotel Management was the organising partner. The participants from South Zone who took the challenge head on comprised Sanjay Maintenance Services Pvt. Ltd., Avon FMS, Faber Sindoori Management Services Pvt. Ltd, CleanPro Services Pvt Ltd and Manipal Integrated Services Pvt. Ltd.

The jury interacted with the participants and discussed their workplace issues, problems occurring at client’s site and prospects with the current field of work. All teams responded positively without having any guilt to work as a cleaner.

The right motivation and belongingness to the team from the top will help the service companies to improve the standards. If the team at the location is properly guided and supported, it will help in increasing the motivation level by leaps and bound. The competitions like this at regular interval will definitely boost the morale of the staff at ground level. The senior management of the Facility Service Companies needs to take these competitions seriously and imbibe the sense of competition at the ground level. This will also help in continual improve in quality of service delivery. The winning teams can showcase their achievements to leverage their competitive edge and garner more business to increase footprint in the market.

Wilson Gomes,
Chief Manager,
Integrated Facility
Management Services,
Reliance Retail Ltd.

In the current scenario, when everyone is discussing, debating and participating in cleanliness drive, my experience, while judging the CIC event was great, watching the enthusiasm of the facility companies and their cleaning ambassadors was a real treat. With such initiatives more awareness can be created about cleaning and hygiene. Now with more professional players in the field of cleaning, there are challenges amongst themselves about how innovative they can be not only in cleaning but also in providing training to their employees. Everyone wants to be acknowledged for their work and likes appreciation. Such initiatives and platform will provide the recognition which will boost the morale of individuals as well as the service providers.

Rinku Mandal, Executive Housekeeper,
The Lalit, Mumbai, Founder Member IPHA

 

Encouraging the participants and winning teams, Nandan Bhatia, Head – Administration & Facilities, Britannia Industries Limited, said, “Learning never stops, so keep learning. You all are from same background and performs these tasks on a regular basis, still twp among five teams won the challenge. So educate your teams and other people you will be meeting to ensure that best practices are being shared and implemented as well.”

Appreciating the spirit of participation, Manoj Sawant, one of the Jury panelists, advised teams to work upon their weaknesses like language barrier, administrative skills and diversify the approach to multidisciplinary model as cleaning business is touching every sector nowadays and developing such expertise will help them to grow in future.

Regional Round, North

The North Regional Round for Clean India Challenge (CIC) event was held on November 27 at the Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Chandiwala Estate, New Delhi.

The event was sponsored by leading providers of cleaning equipment, services and solutions including Arrow Coated Products Limited, Klean Fix Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., Dipped Products PLC and IP Cleaning India Pvt. Ltd., while the Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology was the organising partner for the event.

One member of the team Ultra Clean said, “We have accepted the challenge and will do our best to win it here and in the finals too. There are other teams also participating but we are confident of winning.”

Enthusiastic participant who took part in the contest from North Zone were comprised Ultra Clean & Care Services Pvt. Ltd., Chatterjee Cleaning Arts Services Pvt. Ltd., Kannelite Facility Management Services Pvt. Ltd., Sunrise Integrated Facility Pvt. Ltd. and Sanjay Maintenance Services Pvt. Ltd.

“It was scintillating using our wits gained over period of time and playing histrionics. Truly satisfying with sense of achievement! It’s brilliant to conduct such deeds for ambitious people who are integral part of hospitality so that the graph of excellence in professionalism is continual. These platforms are stage for professionals acting like catalysts for next generation ahead. Continue with same spirit but inculcate into the mind of subjects that their professionalism and finesses is never ending and there is much more ahead where there are innovative minds,” said Disha Sharma, who works as Senior Manager – Housekeeping at Select City Walk Mall in New Delhi area and a Jury member at Delhi CIC event

“First of all, I would like to congratulate you for beginning this forum. Excellent initiative which provides a lot of opportunities to the unsung hero of this profession, as most of them are not highly educated but through events like CIC, they gain the confidence and motivation to come forward and test their abilities. This platform also gives them exposure to new equipment, chemicals and tools to help them build new skills.”

Meenu Tognatta –
Divisional Housekeeper, ITC Limited and
one of the jury members for Delhi event

Regional Round,West

West Zone round for Clean India Challenge was held on December 12, 2015 at Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management. The event was sponsored by Klenz Pro and Roots Multiclean Ltd. while Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management was the knowledge partner.

Team from Sanjay Maintenance conquered in an enthusiastic tone, “We are thankful to the Clean India Journal for recognising us and inviting to the Clean India Challenge 2016 platform. There are many new things, equipment and techniques to learn and we all are enjoying and learning, as the event is progressing.”

The participating teams from West Zone were Acuserve Integrated Facilities Pvt. Ltd., Dusters Total Solutions Services, ISS India, Forbes Facility Services Pvt. Ltd., OCS Group (India) Pvt. Ltd. and Sanjay Maintenance Services Pvt. Ltd.

“At the outset, I would like to thank Team “Clean India” for giving me the opportunity to become the Jury Member and assess janitors and supervisors representing facility service companies. I am looking forward for such opportunities in future and will be very glad to be the part of such enthusiastic team work and initiatives,” said an enthusiastic Wilson Gomes, Chief Manager, Integrated Facility Management Services, Reliance Retail Ltd.

A Day of Effort, Achievement and Appreciation

The fun filled events with stage wise competitive rounds witnessed excitement and zeal to give their best and bag the top place. Mix emotions of fear and desire to excel charged up the atmosphere. Sponsors put their best effort in providing the best possible short training to all the participants and make them comfortable with the knowledge of machines, chemical usage, and operating procedures and know-how of other cleaning accessories. The participating janitors not only took part in the event but also analysed their mistakes apart from feeling the pinch of performing time-bound tasks. Jury boosted the confidence of participants with individual casual interactions with the teams before testing their skills under strict observation and marking.

ON A WINNING NOTE!

All three rounds were action filled with an exhausting and entertaining schedule for participants, organizers, sponsors and the jury members as well. Informative interactions made the day more overwhelming with thumbs up from all the stakeholders. The event received appreciation from all who were part of it and led to the success.

Jury members gave thumbs up to the unique initiative by Clean India Journal by saying that such event will instill confidence among the individuals offering cleaning services at grass root level. Clean India Challenge is a novel platform to test their knowledge and skill set apart from giving a feel good factor about this work to the participants. CIJ We thank our partners Charnock Equipments Pvt Ltd; Klenz Pro, Dipped Products PLC, Klean Fix Chemicals Pvt Ltd.

We thank our partners Charnock Equipments Pvt Ltd; Klenz Pro, Dipped Products PLC, Klean Fix Chemicals Pvt Ltd; Roots Multiclean Ltd; IP Cleaning India Pvt Ltd; Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology, New Delhi; Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai and Institute of Hotel Management, Bengaluru for making regional rounds a success.