On a Tuesday night in early July, Anushka Ahuja, a dentist based in Gurgaon, India, welcomed a house cleaner she had arranged just ten minutes prior using the Pronto app. This platform offers rapid professional cleaning services like sweeping, mopping, and laundry in 11 major Indian cities. After a friendly greeting, the cleaner asked Ahuja if she could wear a small camera during her work.
Ahuja was not taken aback by the request; in fact, she had paid an additional nine rupees (approximately nine cents) for the cleaner to film her work. A few hours later, Ahuja would receive a video documenting the cleaning process, ensuring that her home was attended to properly and that her belongings remained safe.
While Ahuja agreed to the recording process, she hadn't fully realized the videos would also serve another purpose: collecting data for artificial intelligence training. After the cleaning session, sensitive information, such as personal documents and faces, is removed before the footage is sold to AI firms in the United States.
Launched in May, Pronto's video service called Pronto Verified has drawn significant criticism in India, alongside government inquiries concerning privacy. According to CEO Anjali Sardana, customers consent to this recording, and workers receive double payment for jobs booked through Pronto Verified.
Sardana, just 24, explained to Forbes that as billions are invested annually in AI, the blue-collar workforce in India has been overlooked. “There is an opportunity to actually redistribute that capital,” she said.
Ahuja seemed unfazed by the idea of the footage making its way into an AI model's dataset. “Everyone is just collecting data… so it’s fine,” she noted, reflecting on the inevitability of data collection.
Pronto's need for video footage has surged over the past year, particularly as robotics gain momentum in the AI sector, according to Ajay Agarwal, a partner at Bain Capital Ventures. Unlike large language models that draw from vast internet data, robotic startups require specific data types, such as videos showing human actions within physical environments. Agarwal highlighted Pronto's unique offering of a daily volume of 50,000 cleanings in various settings as a significant resource for AI labs.
Pronto's data could lead to advancements in developing versatile home robots capable of performing tasks currently handled by human cleaners. However, for now, cleaners like those at Pronto need not worry about losing their jobs, as current hourly rates range from 49 rupees (50 cents) to 249 rupees ($2.60); creating a robot that can match this cost is still a challenge.
Pronto isn't isolated in discovering the potential of training data. Shift, a startup from MicroAGI, is currently offering cleaning services in New York City under the condition that its staff wear cameras to capture data for AI development, proclaiming, “You get a spotless apartment. We get training data. Everyone wins.”
Although primarily a provider of cleaning services in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, and Pune—typically beginning within ten minutes—Pronto now has a growing business in selling training data. With 46,000 regular appointments and numerous Pronto Verified requests daily, the startup has a valuation of $200 million and has secured about $60 million in funding from notable American investors, including Bain Capital Ventures and General Catalyst.
Pronto has recruited 7,000 workers through various strategies, including influencer campaigns and leveraging local vendors. Workers are assigned to specific neighborhoods, receiving support from team leads for daily operations. The company offers training not only in household tasks but also in financial planning, hygiene, customer service, and even self-defense in higher-risk areas.
In India, over 50 million individuals work as domestic help, an unregulated sector that often leads to negative experiences for both clients and workers. Sardana asserted that the mission behind Pronto is to rectify the flaws within these labor markets by creating a platform that formalizes informal work while providing incentives to stay connected.
Pronto exemplifies the rapid growth of India's quick commerce industry, which has produced several successful startups aiming to deliver immediate services. Companies like Blinkit and Zepto have shown remarkable revenue growth, and Pronto's emergence has sparked increased competition in the same sector.
For Varsha Singh, a 33-year-old cleaner for Pronto, wearing a camera initially felt odd, but once replaced by a lighter model, she quickly adjusted. She expressed how the camera alleviated fears of false accusations, allowing her to work with greater confidence.
Previously earning 18,000 rupees (around $180) at a café in Uttar Pradesh, Singh now takes home nearly double that amount with Pronto for similar work hours, benefiting from the added financial boost for verified bookings.
Workers shared that Pronto has transformed their experiences, providing them with respect and acknowledgment in a field where they often faced challenges. They enjoy improved working conditions and greater autonomy over schedules and breaks, along with assurances of safety from harassment.
Puja Kumari, another domestic worker, found relief and freedom after transitioning from a stifling work environment to Pronto. “I feel like I got out of jail,” she remarked, sharing her experience of feeling trapped in her previous position.
Customers also appreciate Pronto's reliability in securing house help. Many households routinely rely on domestic workers, but the unpredictability of these roles often leaves employers scrambling for replacements. The convenience offered by Pronto has been a game-changer for customers like Anushka Kotwanni in Bangalore.
Sardana, who was inspired by her observations of the Indian market during college, noticed the rapid growth of quick-commerce grocery apps in India. This prompted her to address the widespread challenges associated with domestic help options. She developed Pronto while working at Bain Capital, fully committing to the venture after just six months.
Coming from a family experienced in operations, Sardana faced initial skepticism from her father when she pitched her idea for Pronto, revealing her determination to forge ahead without family support. After creating the app's first iteration, she encountered early challenges gaining trust among potential workers, but after adopting more professional attire, her recruitment efforts gained momentum.
Pronto's first test in Delhi fell short, but a follow-up pilot in Gurgaon flourished. Sardana knocked on doors and spoke directly to domestic workers, learning invaluable lessons in the process.
Looking to the future, Sardana envisions expanding Pronto's model beyond domestic work, potentially impacting other low-skilled labor markets facing shortages such as retail and construction. “I'm not interested in building a home services company; this vision extends globally into developing nations where people are suffering from broken labor markets,” she said.
