Trying to clean up

MY BIG IDEA

It was a minor accident that turned into a life-changing event for Rana Singh, 41. Years ago Singh sent a silk tie to a local drycleaner and it came back shrunk to half its size. Most people would have had a row with the drycleaner but Singh decided instead that it was time to start a high-quality drycleaning outfit.

With a loan of Rs 2 crore from a financial institution, Singh started The Drycleaning Factory in Mumbai in 1998. To be innovative he started by offering clients free pick-ups and deliveries.

Today, the business is flourishing and has crossed a turnover of Rs 2 crore. Singh has now set his sights on expanding the Mumbai operations and also expanding to other cities like New Delhi.

My father, originally from Bihar, was a pilot with Air India. He had been flying for years when he decided to take early retirement and get into the garment export business.

He started his business with a small investment and just two tailors. Our childhood was comfortable and my father was particular that the three of us (including my elder brother and younger sister) get a good education.

After completing my graduation from Mumbai's Mithibai College and Government Law College, I went to the US to complete my masters in business administration.

My uncle used to take care of the US side of the operations of the garment export business and after graduation I joined him. I worked there till 1992. Everyone in our family was in the garment export business but I always wanted to do something different.

It so happened that at my brother's wedding I had given a silk tie for drycleaning. It came out half its size. I was appalled at the quality of drycleaning in the country especially when I compared the technology used in the US.

Some time later, my father shifted part of his production to Dubai and I would go there to see the set-up. That is when I really started researching the drycleaning market and decided to seriously do something about my idea. I had a long chat with my father and he agreed that I should give it a try.

So I prepared a project report and put in an application for a loan, and the financial institution I spoke with liked the idea and sanctioned the loan.

I spent most of that money procuring the latest machines and chemicals required to process the garments and stain removal. Even today, all the chemicals used are imported. But I had no idea about drycleaning so I hired a consultant.

The vendors who I bought machines from, came down to install the machines and told me that before anyone else I should educate myself about the chemicals, combinations and techniques.

Though I had started production in a small way, I shut the plant for three months and went back to the US to study fabric care at the International Fabricare Institute.

I came back more confident about what I was doing and started training the people who would work with me. We started really small with my friends circle and through word of mouth because I had no money for advertising. I had to control finances initially, so didn't want to start with retail outlets.

I was operating through this property my father owned in Andheri East in Mumbai. I decided to do something novel and offered free pick-ups and deliveries to my clients. It doesn't matter where the client is in Mumbai, my boys will go pick up the clothes, get them back to the office where they are checked and the client is called back regarding the state of the stains and tears in the piece.

I have five mobile vans and boys who travel on scooter as well. We offer competitive prices with rates ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 250 and we have clients ranging from the affluent, corporates, people from Bollywood and designers.

This year I am planning to add new machines to my existing plant as well as expand to Delhi which is a larger market than Mumbai. But there's still potential in Mumbai "" in the middle class and I plan to tap that by advertising this year.