Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Following hours of market research, 21-year-old BTech graduate Tapsi Upadhyay zeroed in on pani puri which, according to her, is the most-loved food in the country. Three months ago, stalls came up in and around Janakpuri bearing the name ‘BTech Pani Puri Wali’ after Upadhyay and her childhood friend Sandeep Kumar (25), a recent MTech graduate, teamed up. Now, students in their early twenties come together in West Delhi after school and college hours to run these stalls.
“I wasn’t certain that I wanted to start this business with pani puri, I did a lot of market research which showed me that the snack was the most loved after Chai in the country. The aim was to provide people good, healthy, guilt-free street food at affordable prices,” said Upadhyay, a student at IITM college, Janakpuri, and hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut. She said the focus was on making healthy pani puri, for which she uses an air-fryer.
Before this business, she had her own restaurant providing North Indian food in Bangalore, while she was an undergraduate student at St Joseph’s University in the city. She had to shut it down as the pandemic struck.
“I am passionate about studies which is why even though I have a bachelor’s in history, I decided to take up computer science. I received a lot of support from many of my family and friends,” she said.
Currently, Upadhyay along with about 20 others, mostly students not older than 25 years old, run four stalls in West Delhi, but those serving the snack are women. This, she says, is due to their focus on women empowerment.
Amongst many of those behind Upadhyay’s success is 17-year-old Khushi Gupta who works at their Tilak Nagar stall.
“I want to be independent enough to pay my college fees. I want to start saving for college,” said Gupta, a class 11 student at a government school in Ashok Nagar.
Gupta, after her school hours, comes down to Tilak Nagar, puts on her red hat, apron and gloves, and starts serving pani puri.
Oldest amongst three children, her father stitches and sells suits in Ashok Nagar and her mother is a housewife.
“I am earning Rs 10,000 every month. My dream is to open my own beauty parlour,” she said.
Tushar Tomar, a Mass Communication final-year student from DU’s Sri Venkateswara college and Upadhyay’s brother, has been a constant support for her.
“After the lockdown, it was difficult for us to find hygienic street food spots. Keeping this in mind, we started Btech Pani Puri Wali. My parents and I are supporting my sister and we soon aim to make this a big business,” said Tomar, who takes care of the inventory of the stall after his college hours every day.
Tomar stated that they sell about 100-150 plates priced at Rs 30 a day at each stall.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
