IIT graduates discover pani puri seller's ₹1.2 lakh monthly profit, four outlets and a Scorpio SUV. Internet reacts

Four IIT graduates were left surprised after discovering the earnings of a pani puri seller during a conversation with the street vendor. What started as a casual interaction soon turned into a discussion about business profits, entrepreneurship and the financial realities of corporate employment.

The video was shared on Instagram by Vaishnavi Srivastav, an IIT Guwahati graduate. It also featured three of her friends, who studied at IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur and IIT Hyderabad.

The group discovered that the vendor reportedly earns ₹1.2 lakh in monthly profit from a single pani puri stall. Their surprise grew as they learnt more about his working hours, business operations and lifestyle.

Pani puri seller earns ₹1.2 lakh monthly profit from one stall

In the video, Srivastav can be heard describing the group's reaction after learning about the vendor's earnings.

She said, “Guys, we are in shock because we have spoken to a guy from Pani puri. And guess what? What is his monthly income? 1,20,000. Profit.”

Srivastav clarified that the amount represented the vendor's profit after expenses, rather than his total sales revenue.

The group also discussed the vendor's working hours. According to their conversation, he begins selling pani puri at 4 pm and closes his stall at 10 pm, spending approximately six hours at the counter.

Sharing their observations, the group said, “He works for 6 hours, comes at 4pm leaves at 10pm. He is his own boss. If he feels like it, he can open his shop on a Sunday or keep it closed.”

One of the IIT graduates then jokingly referred to their own educational qualifications while reacting to the vendor's reported earnings.

The group remarked, “Oh my God, you guys are embarrassing us. Don’t look at our faces.”

Pani puri seller operates four stalls, reportedly earns over ₹4.5 lakh monthly profit

The conversation revealed another detail about the vendor's business. The stall visited by the group was not his only outlet.

According to the group, the vendor operates three additional stalls, taking the total number of outlets to four.

This means his combined monthly profit across the four outlets is reportedly substantially higher than the ₹1.2 lakh earned from the stall the group visited.

The group shared, “This is not his only stall, he has three more like this, taking his total monthly profit over ₹4.5 lakh.”

Pani puri seller owns a house and a Scorpio SUV

In another clip, Srivastav shared further details about the vendor's lifestyle. She revealed that he owns his house rather than living in rented accommodation.

She also said that the pani puri seller owns a Scorpio SUV.

Sharing the video, Srivastav used the caption, “It’s not IITians V/S Panipuri wala, it’s actually corporate majdoor V/S entrepreneur.”

Internet reacts to IIT graduates' interaction with pani puri seller

The video sparked a discussion on social media, with users sharing their views on the vendor's reported earnings and the comparison between running a business and working in a corporate job.

One user highlighted the physical labour and preparation involved in running a street-food business, writing, “For that 6hrs of sale he needs to do preparation for 6hr. You guys work in corporate office with chilled Ac/heater on your laptop with a very comfortable recliner chair he work in extrem cold/extrem heat and rain + pollution and in standing possible for all six hour we can't even imagine to do such labour.”

Another user commented, “Never underestimate the power of pani + puri + profit.”

A third user also pointed out that the vendor's working hours should not be viewed only in terms of the time spent selling at the stall.

“It's not only 6 hours include the time for preparing items as well but yeah still good money,” the user wrote.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.