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Prime Minister John Key in New Delhi with Shikha Jain of Crest India, attending a function being held at the NZ High Commission celebrating the ‘Kiwi Connection’. |
Dunedin-based company Crest Commercial Cleaning’s successful Delhi based franchise is just the beginning of other potential business opportunities that await Kiwi businesses according to Grant McLauchlan, Managing Director of Crest Commercial Cleaning. “It’s fantastic to see a New Zealand established business now trading in India and doing so well,” said Mr McLauchlan.
“Crest Clean India now employ’s over 500 staff, and has expanded into a multimillion dollar business.
While the Franchise model has been Indianised to fit within the local market much of Crest Cleans’ success in India can be put down to the application of industry leading training programs based on international standards and skills developed by Crest here in New Zealand.”
Currently, commodities such as coal and wood are the biggest exports from New Zealand to India, but with a growing middle class demand for other consumer goods and services from which New Zealand could profit are increasing.
“India represents huge potential for kiwi businesses, in our case we decided to export our New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) based Training Programs for our Indian cleaners, which has paid huge dividends,” said Mr McLauchlan. These training systems have achieved the same benefits here in New Zealand by attracting a better customer profile and resulting growth in business.
Mr McLauchlan said that cleaning, or housekeeping as it is known in India is worth about $150 billion a year but is currently serviced by untrained, poorly resourced contracting employees.
“Early on we knew the decision to export kiwi taught skills and techniques was the right business model, when last year Crest India received a call from the New Zealand High Commission in Dehi to help save the threat of New Zealand’s team’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth Games.
“We welcome today’s announcement from the Prime Minister of a new Education Cooperation Initiative, in the hope that it will lead to more Kiwi companies taking up the opportunity to export educational and skill based services to India,” said Mr McLauchlan.
