From squalour to prosperity: Pani-puri vendor in Mumbai reveals how he went from earning Rs 5 a day to owning two luxurious flats
dream job’, mastering the art of whipping up this iconic snack was what helped Arun Joshi transition from the streets to gaining his place among the hallowed top earners of the country! Today, Arun Joshi owns not one, but two sprawling houses at the heart of the City Of Dreams, and one of his sons is settled in the US.
In an interview with the Humans Of Bombay, Joshi recounted his journey from working in panipuri stalls for a living wage of Rs 5, to building a flourishing street-food business that catered to illustrious clients such as music icon RD Burman.
The Journey So Far…
Joshi revealed that his father came to Mumbai (then Bombay) in the ‘60s. He established a panipuri stall. He worked tirelessly to provide food on the table. “No matter how difficult the times were, he made sure there was food on our table and clothes on our backs. Throughout his time running the stall, he worked towards buying a shop, so my sibling and I didn’t have to go through the struggle,” said Mr Joshi.
However, before he could scale his business to the next level, he fell ill. The family savings (Rs 60,000) were spent to treat him. To make ends meet, Joshi began working for another bhelpuri business. After toiling for four years, the Joshi family finally had reasons to smile. His father’s health improved and reopened the stall.
Over the years, Joshi managed to expand his business and diversify the menu. In 2019, the foodpreneur managed to launch his dream shop. Today he owns two flats and his children are well-settled, one of them
