The Hindu Business Line : Water tank cleaning is now a branded service

IF every service is in the process of being branded, why not tank cleaning too? And someone has realised the potential of just that. Tanclean Pvt Ltd has got into organised water tank cleaning services for commercial establishments and households.

The Mumbai-based company does the cleaning through a patented six-stage process that involves the usage of anti-bacterial agents and industrial vacuum cleaners.

This method is better than the conventional method as the detergent used does not remove the bacteria, says Mr Divyanshu Shekhar, General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Tanclean.

Moreover, the industrial vacuum cleaners used by the company completely pump out the sludge and dirt from the tank, he says.

The company functions on an annual contract basis, where it undertakes the work periodically or even does a one-time job for clients.

For a 1,000-litre tank, it charges Rs 1,000 per year for four-times cleaning contract and Rs 250 for one time.

For bigger tanks, the company charges five paise per litre, offering 15 per cent discount on the total fee for a four-times contract.

The company operates only through franchisees. "We currently have 200 franchisees in over 30 cities covering 12 states," says Mr Shekhar.

One needs to pay a one-time fee of Rs 3 lakh to become a franchisee and have a team of three service members and two sales members.

Apart from the one-time fee, the company charges a royalty of Rs 1,000 per month from each franchisee.

It also sells the anti-bacterial agent, which is about to be patented, to the franchisees.

The company plans to vastly expand its network in the next three years manifold and reach out to towns with a population of 1.5 lakh or more.