The cleaning industry’s most dynamic and vibrant business platform, the 20th edition of the Clean India Show, concluded on a high note in November 2024. Buzzing with energy and opportunity, the event exceeded all expectations by delivering unprecedented success — record-breaking contracts signed, a high inflow of quality leads, game-changing business deals, and countless new connections. One common statement that most exhibitors voiced –
“We got atleast 100 and more meaningful enquiries on each day of the exhibition… we can’t say if we missed any sector coming to our stall – pharma, hospital, hotel, automobile, malls, warehouses…”
Organized by Virtual Info Systems Pvt. Ltd and Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt. Ltd, CIS2024 set the stage for the transformative growth envisioned in LQ2024 and FY2025. The Clean India Show was inaugurated by Government and Industry professionals, including Sanjay Katkar, Municipal Commissioner, Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation; Vivek Mata, Managing Director, Charnock Equipments Pvt. Ltd, Manoj Parekh, Managing Director, OCS Group – India, Ulhas Parlikar, Global Consultant, Waste Management, Circular Economy, Policy Advocacy & Co-processing; Johannes Schmid-Wiedersheim, Director Texcare International / Brand Management Textile Care & Cleaning, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH, Jayaram Nair, Chairman, VIS Group; J.P. Nair, Managing Director, VIS Group; Chandresh Mehta, Director/Promoter, Rustomjee, Rohit Arora, Chief Growth Officer-Support Services, Compass Group; Suresh Bhatia, President, DLAI; Blake McKeown, Commercial Director-AMEA Region, Reckitt Pro Solutions; Nitin Nagrale, Founder, Hospitality Purchasing Managers Forum; Ashish Jain, Founder, Indian Pollution Control Association; Winston Pereira, Executive Director, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt. Ltd; Mohanalakshmi M, Editor, Clean India Journal; Nimish Ajmera, Director – Purchase, Architecture – Sustainability Projects and IT Division, Ajmera Realty & Infra India Limited.
The primary goal of this exhibition is largely achieved – exploring innovative solutions for better cleaning of our stations and trains. Railway delegates attending the conferences are taking home new concepts and ideas like drone technology and advanced cleaning methods. Special focus is on coach interiors and those areas often overlooked during routine cleaning.”
Manu Goel, Additional Member (EnHM), Ministry of Railways, Railway Board
Exhibitors and visitors alike experienced a showcase of innovation and possibilities, with the Clean India Journal team capturing the pulse of the industry through the trends and enquiries. From a robust set of cleaning equipment and specialized tools to advanced chemicals, cleaning solutions, washroom hygiene products, external cleaning technologies, laundry and dry-cleaning systems, and sustainable waste and wastewater management solutions — the event spotlighted every facet of cleaning excellence.
Insights gathered from the segments of visitors, their geographic origins, specific requirements, and discussions reveal an evolving pattern of demand for cleaning solutions in multiple emerging regions across the country. Collectively, these indicators point to a significant growth trajectory for the industry over the next two years.
The Clean India Show demographics reveal essential growth in demand for professional cleaning products in newer commercial places engulfing across all four extremes of the country. The influx of visitors, especially distributors, from two and three tier cities from States – Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and several parts of Northern India – are strong indicators of infrastructure and industrial growth leading to cleaning demand. Some of the exhibitors confirmed having received distributorship & product enquiries from cities like Sangli, Jalgaon, Karad, Solapur, Morbi, Mehsana, Ludhiana, Jabalpur, Raipur, and others.
In all, over 10,000 visitors and delegates came in from 288 cities across India and from 26 countries.
Visitors were seeking innovative methods to clean escalators and maintain solar panels, with self-cleaning solar films gaining traction. Specifically, the edges where most of the dirt settles and does not come out easily while cleaning mechanically.
I travelled from Warangal to find solutions for maintaining buses and bus stations in the transport sector. Innovative methods, like liquid sprays for bed bug removal — used even in airplanes — have replaced older fumigation techniques, reducing downtime from 48 hours to just one. Solutions for glass cleaning, deodorizing interiors, chemical seat washing, and mopping are transforming cleanliness at TSRTC facilities, contributing to a Clean India. Waste management innovations, including plastic disposal and water management, and technologies like engine driers, are promising steps toward a sustainable future.”
G Madhava Rao,
Deputy Group Head, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation
Buyers were looking for cleaning high factory areas, requiring advanced equipment to reach heights of 30-40 feet. The demand for PPE brushes tailored for the food industry highlights the need for targeted cleaning products. These trends reflect a shift towards innovation as infrastructure and specific industry requirements grow.
Genuine interest in robotics came as a surprise to the exhibitors, especially when it was coming from sectors, including commercial and retail laundries, chemicals & warehousing industries. These inquiries primarily came from Southern India, particularly Hyderabad and Kerala.
The interest was unexpected as traditional machines and chemicals dominate these industries. While leads from commercial laundries have been received, robotic laundry solution manufacturers are looking at working on products that include solutions for retail laundries, and smaller hospitals.
Talking of robotics, the façade cleaning drone was a showstopper that drew the attention of one and all who visited the show.
India predominantly has been a market that is open to both specialised chemicals and all-purpose chemicals for different surfaces. The sudden rise in demand for green cleaning solutions, bio-product and enzyme-based solutions confirms changing preferences of consumers. The eco-friendly product exhibitors were elated to the response received from buyers.
The search for sustainable solutions was experienced across all the four shows – Clean India Show, Waste Technology India Expo, Laundrex India Expo and Autocare Expo.
Inaugurating the Clean India Show, he said that such expos come with a lot of technologies which help in providing solutions for various requirements of the industry and society. Enumerating the technologies that has enabled the Mira Bhayandar Corporation to implement successful waste management, he said, “we have introduced a digital waste management system to ensure efficient and sustainable operations. Public participation is crucial, and our recycling app enables daily waste recycling to be tracked and regulated effectively. With 85% of waste segregated daily, supported by GPS tracking and fixed collection timings, we minimize travel distances and reduce air pollution. Additionally, four processing plants have been set up across the city to streamline waste processing and enhance environmental outcomes.”
Sanjay Katkar, Municipal Commissioner, Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation
There has been many leading trends observed at the laundry end. Some of the exhibitors received people primarily from the commercial dry cleaning segment and also individuals interested in starting their own laundries. More than hospitality, they observed visitors from healthcare and railways besides commercial laundries.
Laundry has been one of the fastest growing start up and visitors have come seeking turnkey solutions for their projects, including consultation services and maintenance for existing machines.
One interesting buying pattern noticed at the retail laundry level was enquiries received for carpet cleaning machines & chemicals and shoe cleaning machine besides washers & dryers. Noticeably exhibitors emphasised on receiving buyers more from South India, especially Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
There was an increased demand for wastewater treatment solutions and laundry professionals were looking for solutions at the Waste Technology India Expo.
At the machine end, tunnel washer enquiries were received from Surat and the Railways.
STPs, wastewater treatment, road sweepers… the list of enquiries at the Waste end kept all the exhibitors on their toes. Many of the exhibits were new launches which caught the attention of visitors.
To sum up, the industry stakeholders and professionals across cleaning, waste, laundry and autocare segments observed the following points:
• Increased focus on sustainability to highlight eco-friendly products and solutions
• More options for organic detergents and sustainable cleaning chemicals
• Greater emphasis on energy-efficient and water-saving technologies
• Increased inclusion of robotics and IoT-enabled systems for efficiency
• More innovations like drones for façade cleaning and automation in various sectors
• Latest advancements in pest control systems
• Options for landscaping maintenance & equipment
• Solutions for niche requirements like landfill odour management and dry powder carpet cleaning
• Enhanced offerings in the laundry segment, including wet cleaning and enzyme-based cleaning products
