Her proficiency and distinctiveness hold the power to illume the whole conversation with her.
The growth trajectory of her organization reflects, to a large extent, the values, beliefs and passion she has put in.
Bharathi Kamath needs no introduction; she is an epitome of an ideal leader, who is an
inspiration and a highly accomplished professional from the housekeeping industry and her adherence resonate with the dedication displayed by her team towards their organization as well as their attention towards meeting the needs of the clients.
Bharathi has dedicated over three decades of her professional stint to the Housekeeping Industry.
Throughout her career, she has always taken up good challenges. Bharathi underwent management training with the Taj group of hotels.
Her first chapter included a thirteen-year tenure in the hotel industry at Taj Hotels and ITC Welcom group’s Windsor Manor Hotel.
Armed with her learnings from the experience in heading the housekeeping department in the hotel
industry, she ventured out her entrepreneurial journey with Carewel Facilities India Pvt Ltd. in the year 1995.
With sheer passion and a focused approach to infuse quality services and an organized framework in India’s housekeeping space, Bharathi laid down the foundation of Carewel Facilities Pvt. Ltd., and since then, the company has been victorious in pushing the boundaries and delivering superior housekeeping services to its clients.
Carewel has been a tough leader in the IFM space since its advent and has left an indelible mark with its sound practices and quality.
The company has posted a robust growth traverse while staying honest with its commitment to quality, going from strength to strength.
Being one of the frontrunners in the Housekeeping Industry, Carewel today enjoys a valued position among its clientele.
Carewel has catered its high-calibre services to its multifarious clientele- including its former associations with large corporates like Hewlett Packard and Philips for over 15 years.
At present, Carewel is currently associated with Harman International and Harman Connected Services, NXP, Fanuc India, Gallagher and Yuken India to name a few.
A leader of simple words, Bharathi is easy to reach and trust me, can leave a great impression while jovially talking about her entrepreneurial experience.
She perfectly sketches the adroitness of her company as we interview this leader.
Here are the edited excerpts from the interview
Revolutionizing the industry
“Housekeeping is taken very seriously in the hotel industry. It was a natural move to start my entrepreneurial journey in the Office Upkeep and Facilities Management space due to my background in the hospitality industry. Sooner, I realized how disorderly the industry was, with its concerns & challenges- the absence of trained manpower, gender discrimination and improper services with lack of quality. I started with a different approach. We tweaked our services as per customer’s necessity, focusing on skill development, we trained our staff, retained them and gave what they owed to us being frontline workers- the dignity of being professionals and we have never turned back since then. We have always favoured quality over quantity and we, as a team take pride in being the brand ambassadors.We pride ourselves about the training we provide to our employees that are relevant to the function they perform. We upskill existing staff to take on higher responsibilities providing career growth for them.
Carewel’s Portfolio
Housekeeping services
Support staff services
Landscape & garden maintenance
Technical support services
Hospitality services
Sanitization
Fumigation, pest & rodent control
One-time cleaning of project sites & villas
Payroll management
The COVID-19 IMPACT
Despite the lockdown, we were never on a break.
We needed to take care of the running engines of our economy while standing on the frontline.
Shouldering the responsibility of a large number of people, it was challenging to adapt to the new normal in functioning.
But this couldn’t keep me away from my commitment to my employees and we sailed fine, facing the challenges.
Nine months into the pandemic and our headcount, though reduced due to pandemic, our staff are just more trained and fully prepared.
In my opinion, employee happiness converts into customer happiness and hence, we have always focused on providing a sound work atmosphere, taking out the best in our people and implementing their best ideas to work.
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While the pandemic has caused significant business loss to the cleaning industry or business, on the whole, it also has brought a sharp focus on hygiene.
Housekeeping and hygiene protocols are even more stringent now; we continuously look for efficient ways for cleaning.
Due to the Pandemic, sanitizer dispensers have become a norm.
Waste management has become more systematic.
Safety is of utmost importance, in the interest of all stakeholders.
Cleaning and disinfection are a prerequisite that must be met, and we in Carewel, have trained our staff and equipped them to handle the challenges one is faced with.
Carewel’s response
We call ourselves Warriors of Cleanliness.
Our staff have remained committed during the lockdown to serve at the frontline of the industry.
Our presence reassures employees who have returned to workplaces.
Before the pandemic struck, cleaning staff were expected to work discreetly.
Once businesses started opening up, the presence of the cleaning staff was reassuring as it meant the premise was clean and hygienic.
All our staff are equipped with PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) like masks, gloves, hair nets, etc.
We screen our employees before they are deployed in our client premises.
Apart from this, we have educated them about the government guidelines, social distancing, and the nature of symptoms they should be alert about.
Visit Carewel at www.carewelindia.com
Pandemic is a new experience for all. Its sudden emergence created anxiety in the minds of people and required a greater level of communication and empathy with our staff.
We were alert to the feedback from the frontline staff. We integrated it in to bring about a higher level of attentiveness.
Our focus was not only on training them but also to ensure their safety both physical and emotional.
Road Ahead
In coming years, we want to grow our reach to more states starting with Hyderabad.
We already have a presence in Chennai.
Our energies are focused on strengthening our service portfolio as well as serving capabilities of the team.
She strongly believes that cleanliness cannot be taken for granted anymore.
The unsung heroes who are responsible for a clean environment are now the CLEANING WARRIORS much sought after.
Leader’s Periscope
Bharathi Kamath
Managing Director, Carewel Facilities India Pvt Ltd
Bharathi is active in the community. Her accomplishments include the Presidency of the Rotary Health City, being the first-ever lady committee member at most prestigious Bangalore Club and currently serves on the Governing Council in MS Ramaiah Workplace Excellence Academy. She is also a member at the International Facility Management Association and the Professional Housekeepers Association Bharathi graduated from Bangalore University, with a distinction having been awarded a gold medal.She lives in Bangalore with her husband and their three golden retrievers and has been avidly taking care of stray animals nearby.
