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A man walks to cast his vote at a polling centre in the state of Maharashtra as more than 140 million more eligible voters go to polls that will take at least a month to finish - Source: Reuters
New Zealand cleaning franchise Crest Commercial Cleaning is expanding its services in India after striking a deal that will see it employ 3,000 people in around a dozen cities.
The company, which has until now employed 300 people in India, will carry out its expansion over the next two years.
Crest co-owner Grant McLauchlan says that as the Indian economy becomes more sophisticated, clients, particularly international companies, are demanding better hygiene standards.
"Many people tell us that one of the big barriers to doing business in India is hygiene and so we are seeing savvy companies starting to make that a priority," he says.
The cleaning sector in India is worth around $150 billion each year but McLauchlin says it is currently serviced by untrained, poorly resourced contracting companies.
He says Crest is doing well because its training in India is based on New Zealand standards. Crest cleaning staff in New Zealand are required to undertake an NZQA recognised qualification that leads to a National Certificate in Cleaning and Caretaking before being hired.
"Training cleaning staff to achieve nationally recognised qualifications makes more sense for commercial cleaners than hiring unskilled staff," he says
"Training has a very positive effect on morale, motivation and on the person's ability to carry out cleaning to high standards."
The company first signed a country licence agreement for India
in 2008 and says it looking to expand into other Asian countries
and the Middle East.
