IITians get shocked when they learn a paani puri seller has Rs 4.5 lakh per month in profit: ‘He works for six hours…’

A group of IITians got the shock of their lives when they discovered that a person who made a profit of over Rs 1.2 lakhs per month didn’t have a degree from IIT or even any college. He was a humble paani puri seller, and these earnings came from just a single stall. One IIT Madras graduate, Vaishnavi Srivastav, shared the video with three friends who studied at IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Hyderabad about the paani puri stall owner who had a profit of Rs 1.2 lakh monthly.

IITians Left Aghast

The friends found that the paani puri seller earned Rs 1.2 lakh monthly, and that was just his profit! Vaishnavi said, "Guys, we are in shock because we have spoken to a pani puri guy. And guess what? What is his monthly income? Rs 120,000 profit."

This was his earnings after deducting expenses, not his overall revenue.


They also found that the seller worked for only six hours, operating his stall between 4:00 pm and 10:00 pm. One of her friends commented, "He works for six hours, comes at 4 pm and leaves at 10 pm. He is his own boss. If he feels like it, he can open his shop on a Sunday or keep it closed."

How Much Does He Earn Overall?

The friends learned that the vendor had three more stalls and that he had a monthly profit of over Rs 4.5 lakh. He owns a house and a Scorpio SUV. Vaishnavi joked that it is not IITian versus paani-puri waala; it was corporate majdoor vs. entrepreneurs.

Netizens React

A user noted that the vendor needed to invest an extra six hours in preparation before starting the six-hour selling period. The commentator compared this to corporate workers in temperature-controlled offices, seated comfortably at their desks, while the vendor faced extreme heat, cold, rain, and pollution. They mentioned that remaining on one's feet for six hours was an additional difficulty that most office employees could scarcely conceive of managing.

Another Reddit user recounted a comparable experience with a tea vendor close to their residence in Mumbai, expressing their astonishment upon discovering his income. The vendor allegedly launched another store in Thane, hired his maternal uncle's son with a monthly payment of ₹10,000, and brought on more staff. He was additionally getting ready to open a third branch. His profits, which reportedly reached ₹1.2 lakh with three outlets, were being reinvested into building tea stalls. The disclosure caused the commenter to rethink the funds spent on their whole MBA education.

A third user noted that while the actual working shift was six hours long, preparation and additional tasks demanded significantly more time. They also pointed out that this type of business provided no guarantee of consistent earnings or lasting stability.