The Tamil Nadu Industrial Laundry & Drycleaners Association (TNILDA) hosted its AGM recently in Chennai, bringing together industry leaders, business owners and experts from the laundry and dry-cleaning sector. The event commenced with the lamp lighting by Chief Guest Sudip Sengupta, Vice President-Hotel Green Park, Chennai; Mangala Chandran, Editor-in-Chief, Clean India Journal; Anup Poddar-DLAI; founding TNILDA Executive Committee members; Ramkumar Raja, President-TNILDA and C Srinivasan, VP-TNILDA.
Sudip Sengupta, a doyen in the textile and garment industry, shared valuable inputs on prospects in the keynote speech. Highlighting the importance of laundry for a hotel, he and drew attention to the challenges faced by them doing the job in-house. He mentioned the industry outsourcing laundry work over a period due to shortage of trained manpower and rising costs.
The president deliberated on the industry laundry sector growth, challenges faced and the association’s efforts towards new benchmarks. Anup Poddar highlighted sustainability in the laundry business, latest advancements in eco-friendly cleaning solutions and the scope of the laundry/dry-cleaning industry. He touched upon the importance of an association and its need in a growing sector.
Mangala Chandran spoke about the importance of hygiene across a range of industries like hospitality, healthcare and workplace. She dwelt on the importance of laundry in these places, focussing attention on a clean workplace becoming a necessity rather than a luxury. Valsan, President of the Kairali Industrial Laundry & Drycleaners’ Association, stressed on the relevance and importance of the association in industry growth, requested everyone to stand united in one of India’s fastest growing industries. He also highlighted some of KILDA’s key initiatives in the past.
Key sponsors and exhibitors showcased laundry machinery, detergents and automation technologies. Molikule Pvt Ltd, Buzil Rossari, Diversey, Urba, Swan Chemicals, Promac Technologies and Ampro Q presented their latest offering in assisting efficiency and reducing operational cost in laundry. Industry veteran Venkat spoke about B2B market analysis, growth opportunities via strategies for enhancing service quality and optimizing costs. He provided insights on fabric care, energy-efficient practices, waste reduction, challenges in attaining growth and areas to focus on for profitability.
S Thirumoorthy talked on B2C business, its potential and challenges for service providers with low market knowledge, and access to skilled manpower. He suggested ways to market online and offline, presenting a clear picture on how to handle issues arising from operational issues.
The other speakers included Lawyer Chidambaranadhan speaking on legal issues, compliance issues faced by members across verticals; tax consultant Rupesh on GST rules and regulations, various statutory compliances besides TNILDA Joint Secretary Antony Wilfred, Treasurer S Thirumoothy and Executive Director Jeeva Gunasekaran rendering the vote of thanks.
The TNILDA Meet 2025 reinforced the association’s commitment to knowledge-sharing, business growth and industry development for the laundry and dry-clean sector, paving the way for a stronger and more sustainable future.