Car Sewak
Harish Kumar Bhaskaran 31 OWNER Splash Spa, Bangalore
He loves cars, like everyone else. But it’s not getting behind the wheel that gets Harish Kumar Bhaskaran’s adrenaline going. His passion for cars took a rather unusual route—he loves cleaning them. So much so that he quit his nine-tofive job with an insurance company to set up a car wash service, Splash Spa in Bangalore. He had to sell his first car, a Hyundai Accent, to launch his venture in October 2011. What makes his spa different from regular car wash centres? He cleans and shines right at your doorstep. Using a 22-year-old Maruti van fitted with a 250-litre water tank and machines from Thailand, he gives showroom shine to cars. He is very particular about the cloth he uses so that no scratches are left behind. “there’s no point if you create a clone of something that already exists. If you start something, do it differently,” he says. He charges Rs 600 per month for a five-day-a-week wash and vacuum cleaning once a month. Thanks to him, every day 450 Bangalore car owners get to drive around in gleaming cars. And the numbers are stacking up.
First Love
Bhaskaran would get dressed in formals just to wash his car. “i sometimes took leave from work so I could stay home and wash my car,” he says.
Road Ahead
I was one of Harish’s first customers. His service is exceptional and not expensive. He is always punctual.”
Sanalrao, Assistant Manager with a corporate firm
He plans to set up an automobile service centre soon, apart from branching out into professional house cleaning.