Today, on 4th October, famous Indian billionaire businessman Anand Mahindra has reshared a viral video on X, that features an Indian PhD student who is running a street food stall in Chennai. Anand Mahindra has called the student incredible and unique.
He reshared the viral video and wrote, “This clip went viral a while ago. An American vlogger discovers a PhD candidate running a food stall, part-time. What struck me as truly special, however, was the end, when he picks up his phone & the vlogger thinks he’s going to show him social media mentions of his stall—but instead, he proudly shows him online the research papers he has authored! Incredible. Unique. Indian.”
The Indian PhD student featuring in the video is identified as Tarun Rayan. He lives in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and studies at SRM University. His video of running a street food stall was taken by an American vlogger, Christopher Lewis.
In the conversation between the student and the vlogger, it was revealed that he is a PhD biotechnology student and the research articles written by him are available on the internet. He said, “If you Google my name, you’ll find my research articles.”
This viral student has got highly appreciated by the public. One of the users commented, “That moment shows the real beauty of India—hard work, humility, and intelligence all together. A person doing important research but still running a food stall with pride. It’s a reminder that success isn’t just about big titles, but about doing everything with passion.”
“This story showcases the incredible resilience of Indians. A PhD candidate running a food stall part-time and proudly sharing his research instead of social media praise speaks volumes about dedication. Truly embodies the spirit of hard work and excellence,” another commented.
One of the users showed disappointment and said, “No offense, this is not a great video. It's great he's working, but a PhD should use his skills in research, not just selling food. We've failed to provide him a setting where he can truly apply his education.”