Everyone aspires to be independent and capable of standing independently. For that, a job is necessary. From a young age, Priyanka Gupta dreamt of getting a job. She prepared for numerous competitive exams as she grew older. However, not qualified. Priyanka was unwilling to acknowledge failure. She never gave up hope. Priyanka was determined to achieve a job. She was attracted to MBA Chaiwala’s videos and thought, “Why not a Chaiwali?”. As a result, she moved forward with her decision.
Priyanka Gupta, the 24-year-old girl, hails from a middle-class family in Banmankhi village, Purnia District of Bihar. She attended Banmankhi Middle School till her tenth standard and then shifted to Banaras Hindu University for classes 11 and 12. Priyanka graduated in Economics from Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth College, Varanasi in 2019.
Two Years of Competitive Exams
She followed her family’s advice and prepared for bank tests after graduation. Priyanka studied for competitive exams for two years. However, she didn’t qualify. Thus she decided to do any other job.
Another question she had to consider was what to do next. She was attracted by the videos of Praful Billore, his inspiring journey and experience. After this, Priyanka decided to start a tea shop.
To Patna
Priyanka could not share her ideas with her family because they had never pressured her to find a job. It was she who desired to get a job. She will be forced to get married if her family comes to know about her plan. Priyanka travelled to Patna after convincing her father that she wanted to pursue her studies for bank exams. She spent two months visiting tea shops and thoroughly understood the work.
Steps Ahead
There, Priyanka carefully studied how to make tea, interact with customers, and learn about investments, profit, and other things. She knew marketing tactics because she had studied them, and on April 11, 2022, Priyanka decided to open a tea shop in front of Women’s College Patna.
Arranging Money
She submitted numerous loan applications and they were rejected. According to the famous saying, ‘Where there is a will, there is a way .” By coincidence, Priyanka met a childhood friend and secured the funding for her business.
Chaiwali to Graduate Chaiwali
Priyanka used the name ‘Chaiwali’ in the posters, but her customers changed it to ‘Graduate chaiwali’.Thus she registered her business under that name.
Convincing Her Family
After receiving media attention, she informed her family about her profession. They didn’t agree at first. After some time, they were convinced.
Business Flourishes
She sells different kinds of tea in her shop, including Kulhad Chai, Masala Chai, Paan Chai, and Chocolate Chai. Here, tea costs between 15 and 20 rupees, while cookie tea costs rupees ten. As her sales increased, she opened more stalls.
TeamWork
Priyanka organised a group of seven to eight people for her work. Her objective is to give employment to more people. She encourages everyone to pursue their beliefs regardless of what others may say.
Against The Odds
Priyanka never cared what others said and faced many adversities in developing her business. As a graduate, many people ridiculed her for running such a business. Many threatened her to stop it. But she went ahead with her business. Her guiding principle was to dream big, start small and act now.
The girl who is allergic to dust, who used to study in an air-conditioned room and never came out of her house to do any job, was shifted to the dusty atmosphere beside the college and is making cups of tea and managing the business alone. She transformed her passion for earning through hard work.Today, Patna’s graduate chai wali owns three tea stalls and makes lakhs of rupees per month. Her persistence and enthusiasm in bringing up a simple concept free from all constraints are motivating. Priyanka Gupta embodies women’s empowerment perfectly.
Credits and References
https://www.thequint.com/neon/social-buzz/priyanka-gupta-to-shut-tea-stall-start-food-truck
https://www.indiaherald.com/Women/Read/994495528/Graduate-Chai-Wali-runs-a-tea-stall-with-pride