If you go to Bhopal’s 10 Number Market, you will see shoppers, vendors and commuters crowding every day. Now there is something new there that you would not expect in a public toilet.
The Bhopal Municipal Corporation has set up ‘Freshrooms’ – smart and luxury public convenience centres.
And this is not just a toilet. It’s a 800 to 1,000 sq ft Smart Lounge.
What is Inside Freshrooms?
This is where it gets interesting. Technology is at the heart:
- Sensor-based toilets and touch-free urinals – no need to touch anything
- Hot and cold showers – for travellers, vendors who spend all day in market
- Lockers – to keep your bags safe while you shop
- Wi-Fi – yes, free Wi-Fi inside a public toilet
- A café and vending machines – you can have coffee
- Baby-changing rooms – for mothers
- Digital information wall – keeps users informed
- Separate, accessible facilities for men, women and persons with disabilities
It serves 500 to 1,000 visitors daily. People are actually paying to use it because it’s clean, safe, and world-class.
The Business Model – How It Runs Without Government Loss:
This is the smartest part.
It follows a Design-Build-Operate-Transfer (DBOT) model under Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
What does that mean?
- Private company designs it, builds it, operates it
- Government gives the space
- The company earns from user fees, café sales, vending machines, ads on digital wall
- After the contract period, it transfers back to the corporation
Result: Financial self-sufficiency.
The city doesn’t have to spend money every year to maintain it. The toilet earns its own money and stays clean because the private operator has incentive to keep it premium.
By integrating technology, comfort and sustainability, Freshrooms demonstrate how innovative models can deliver world-class sanitation while also making money.
This is Toilets 2.0 in action – from dignity to luxury, from government expense to self-earning model.
Bhopal’s 10 Number Market just proved – if you make a public toilet like an airport lounge, people will respect it, use it, and pay for it.
Source: PIB Delhi – “Dignity by Design: Innovation Reshapes India’s Public Toilets” – Bhopal Freshrooms section – 02 OCT 2026
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