The promise of autonomous cleaning machines has reshaped facility management across Europe and the Far East. On Indian floors, the answer to whether the industry is ready, is anything but unanimous. It is not a question of whether robotics will come to India — they have already arrived. The question is whether they will work here, and what it will take to make them work well. Mohana M, Editor-Clean India Journal, engaged in conversations with industry leaders and professionals who map the scepticism, optimism and patient pragmatism that surrounds robotic cleaning in India today.
The Sceptics: ‘Our basics are still not there’
Vivek Mata, Managing Director, and Vedant Matta, Director Sales of Charnock Equipments Pvt. Ltd
Q. Why do cleaning robots operate more smoothly on structured shopfloors abroad compared to India?
Vedant Matta: Take an ideal example of a shop floor: As scheduled the trolleys come in and the loading and unloading takes place from 11am until 3pm. Thus, when the cleaning robot moves in, there is no obstacle on the shop floor. Whereas in India, the robot keeps moving and stopping with continuous movement of manpower, trolleys and pallets.
Q. How do crowd movement and obstacles impact the efficiency of robotic cleaning in public spaces like malls?
Vivek Mata: Take a live example of a mall with about 50 to 100 people and one robotic machine moving along. With people moving all around, the machine keeps moving and stopping. It takes a diversion and again finds somebody there. It waits, then goes ahead, then finds another obstacle, and moves ahead again. To complete the cleaning cycle in the entire area, it will take three times the duration. If I take a manual machine and move in the same area, I will be able to clean it in no time because a person is guiding the machine and people are moving aside.
Q. Why does India lag in adopting autonomous machines like forklifts and material handling equipment?
Vedant Matta: Our infrastructure does not support the use of autonomous cleaning machines and even autonomous material handling equipment? The world uses autonomous forklifts, but in India, we still rely on manpower for bringing in parcels, packing them and sending them.
Q. How important is operator training and skill development for effective use of cleaning machines?
Vivek Mata: The person operating has to be qualified and capable of facing practical issues on-site. The facility management service providers have to train their workers and ensure they develop expertise. Janitors have no clue on how to maintain a machine.
Q. Are foundational gaps in infrastructure and skills slowing down the adoption of AI and robotics in India?
Vedant Matta: We are talking about AI and robotics, whereas our basics are still not there. I think that is a huge focus area which we need to address every day.
The Optimists: ‘It is simpler than asking a person to use the machine’
Varun Karthikeyan R, Managing Director of Roots Multiclean Ltd
As you are functioning in the European international market, what have been your observations?
A. In the European market, robotics has been increasing slowly over the last six years. Robotics definitely is an area where everybody is concentrating. We have our own plans. In the future, when we launch, we will launch. But definitely for the Indian market, robotics is a good area for everybody to look at.
Do you think that the Indian market or Indian facilities are ready to run robotic machines?
A. It is simpler than a regular person asking you to use the machine. It is more complex when you need to use your brain. Once you map everything out and press start, the robotic machine does everything for you.
Do you think mapping in Indian facilities is a challenge?
A. I don’t think so; that is the same everywhere. I do not see that as an issue. Probably the crowd is a little bit more, and the robot must align towards that crowd and navigate around them.
In some places I believe that you can’t program it, or sometimes the robot hits the side. Is this true?
A. No, wherever a person is using the machine, the robot will obviously go. As long as you select the right size of robotic scrubber, it should cover the same area that a regular machine covers.
” Once you map everything out and press start, it does everything for you… the right machine, the right footprint, the right willingness, and the country will follow.” — Varun Karthikeyan R
The Pragmatists: ‘An opportunity postponed, not lost’
Tony Chazhoor, Managing Director of Tennant-India & GM Indian Sub-continent.
How do you see robotic cleaning in India?
A. Robotic has gone to the next advanced level. The iPhone took time to be adopted in India, and now they are doing a turnover of 50 billion. In any industry, eventually only three or four strong players will remain because you require both temperament and proficiency. One is software and the other is hardware. You need mastery in both to take care of fundamentals, including safety. You cannot sell something that is half-baked because that spoils the market. Once customers have a bad experience, it impacts the entire category.
What challenges do industrial requirements and data localisation regulations pose to the effective adoption of robotic cleaning machines in India?
A. For industries and manufacturing, the requirement is more demanding. You need a really strong machine. All robotics are generally defined by the litre capacity of the water tank, which determines how the machine will perform. We have introduced a 125-litre machine for India. Today, people are buying out of enthusiasm. However, the government is not going to allow data to reside in any cloud other than an Indian cloud. This is one issue that will also impact robotics.
What is the current demand?
A. Last year, India sold around 250 machines—about 170 pieces by the government and roughly 35 pieces by private companies. These solutions will not sustain unless they evolve into the next level of practical application. In a country like India, if someone makes a mistake in the initial stage, they may sell machines initially, but if they fail, they lose credibility permanently. Tennant does not want to enter a situation where we say our team is not trained, or the cloud is not ready. We do not want to launch something half-prepared just to say that we are present.
“We may lose an opportunity of Rs 30-40 crore, but that is not a lost opportunity — it is an opportunity postponed, so that when we enter, we do it the right way for India.” — Tony Chazhoor
Where the three voices meet
They are three projections of the same underlying belief: That robotic cleaning will succeed in India only when it is matched to Indian conditions. Vivek argues that the conditions like the infrastructure, the discipline and the training must rise to meet the technology. Varun believes that the technology is already adaptable enough to meet the conditions, provided buyers choose well. Tony asserts that the technology itself must mature, locally and regulatorily, before it earns its place.
All three disagree on the diagnosis but agree on the prescription: Do this carefully, or do not do it at all.
“Robotics is not for Multiplexes”
Robotic FM is rapidly evolving from a novelty to a critical operational tool for improving efficiency and maintenance standards in high-traffic environments. However, when it comes to complexes like multiplexes, it is a challenge says Asha Pathania, Senior Vice President – Housekeeping (FM & Hospitality), PVR INOX Ltd
While commercial robotic cleaning is growing in India, the specific environment of a cinema auditorium creates significant operational hurdles that current technology often struggles to overcome efficiently.
The primary hurdle is the unique “topography” of a cinema. A multiplex is not just a flat floor; it is a complex hybrid of high-traffic foyers and steep, tiered auditoriums.
The Foyer: Multiplexes pose a unique challenge by way of high traffic in their foyers and while standard autonomous cleaners can handle large spaces, the sheer density of “moving obstacles” (patrons) often overwhelms the basic navigation sensors.
Auditorium Structure: The uneven, step-based seating of an Indian cinema remains an architectural “no-go” zone for existing hardware until a robot can navigate steps as efficiently as it does a hallway.
Turnaround Times: Multiplexes require rapid cleaning during short show turnarounds. Robots often struggle with heavy food waste, sticky spills, and large crowds during peak hours left behind by the patrons
Limited Access: Robots may not reach dark corners, under-seat areas, or deep-seated dirt, still requiring manual intervention to achieve high hygiene standards
Cost of Procurement & Maintenance: High upfront costs, coupled with the need for specialized maintenance, make them less cost-effective
The potential for robotics in FM is undeniable, however for the Indian multiplex environment, we are still in the trailer phase. We are not at the “Friday Release” yet.
We need to wait for a generation of robotics that is specifically engineered for multi-level, high-density environments and priced for the Indian market.