CHENNAI: The COVID-19 pandemic called for increased use of disinfection and fumigation services in public forums, hospitals, hotels, customer service centres, and households to mitigate exposure to the contagious virus.
While the existing players in the market were competing against one another by offering chemical-based services at an attractive price, Ecoshield India - a relatively new entrant - introduced the public to natural solutions with its eco-friendly disinfection services.
The pandemic-birthed, Chennai-based start-up has gradually shifted its focus to natural pest control services. "We used to have 600-700 customers opting for disinfectant services in April and May 2021, when the second wave hit us. But, the count kept coming down and that's when we decided to make the switch. Since February, we've been offering all-in-one pest control services that eradicate insects like flies, mosquitoes, and cockroaches," shares Gautham Prasad, business development and growth advisor.
Headquartered in the Thousand Lights neighbourhood, the company has collaborated with biotech farms to source natural pesticides and fertilisers. Services are bio-compatible, non-corrosive, and non-toxic, claims Gautham.
"We have been using drones to sanitise big spaces like warehouses, building spaces, and agricultural farms. While the other competitors are quoting Rs 600-Rs 700 for one hectare, we have priced it at Rs 500 to expand our clientele. There are plans of collaborating with an algae-based lake/pond cleaning applicant manufacturer to clean the water bodies," he details.
The start-up was awarded The Promising Startup 2021 by the Indian Achievers Forum. "All we need is a day's notice. There's still a demand for fumigation services at medical labs, restaurants, banks, hospitals, and home disinfection services at apartments and individual houses. Our charges are Rs 1 per sq ft, and the procedure takes 15 minutes. Our fumigation cycle protects the space for up to 15 days and owing to its longevity, there is better protection and the cost is much lower compared to the conventional alcohol-based disinfection process. It also has strong wetting power, good activity in hard water, and is stable to heat. It’s harmless on the skin, and that’s also the feedback we've been receiving from customers," he assures.
One of their earlier projects - Disinfection on Wheels - that took off on June 1, 2021, received immense response from tier-2 cities, he reports. "We visited towns such as Tiruchy, Tirupur, Erode, Coimbatore, and Salem. While the number of bookings was less, we still had an opportunity to educate the local crowd. We’re working on bringing back our pre-pandemic customer base. Our services are also available in Puducherry, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru," he sums up.
For details, visit ecoshield.in, or call: 9626701702