When you really want to make your dreams come true, all that counts is YOU and the COURAGE that you have. We all live in a society where LITERACY matters more than EDUCATION and education is considered on the degree that you carry. But, breaking stereotypes and society-set rules was the reason why India’s Most famous Chai Wala after PM Modi – Prafull Billore was born!
It was four years back when Prafull, a Commerce graduate wanting to pursue MBA but couldn’t get through it, thought of a plan. Prafull had a part time job while pursuing his graduation and earned enough as a student. After not being able to follow his MBA Dream, disappointments hit him but, in a Good Way.
While striving hard to accomplish the goal, Prafull took a part time job at McDonalds, Ahmedabad. While at work, a thought crossed his mind of starting something of his own and guess what it was? India’s Most Famous and Beloved Drink – CHAI!
So now that we know the background, let us know more about Mr. Prafull Billore from Ahmedabad aka MBA Chaiwala as he talks to INN about his Chai Journey!
“The name MBA Chaiwala was given to me by the customers that visited the stall. MBA is nothing but the short-form of Mr. Prafull Billore of Ahmedabad plus the visitors knew of the MBA dropout story so, it just happened!” said Prafull who set up a Tea stall on the roads of Ahmedabad and sold not more than one cup tea on the first day of his work. Prafull tells INN, he asked for Rs. 8K from his parents for a project and with it, he bought himself all the ingredients necessary for setting up a stall, and MBA Chaiwala came into existence.
When asked of how he prepared himself and his business of selling Chai ready for the vast competition out there, Prafull, very simply answered it saying:
“There’s nothing like a Small Business or a Huge Business. The probability of people approaching you even when you start something worth 10K or 10Cr, is probably the same. It is on how you approach people. Talking about being a Chai wala just like any other, there is no direct competition as such unless you fighting with the Brands. It is a huge market, Behti Ganga hai, jo haath dhole uska kaam ho jayega.”
When his parents understood of his business, Prafull said that like any other parent, his mom dad weren’t really happy with his choice of career because they didn’t consider it as one. “It is an independent journey. It is my journey. I had to do it and hence, I knew I couldn’t convince my parents, so the option was, to confuse or leave it as it is. I chose the latter one and did not talk to my parents for over 6 months. My friends mocked me. People mocked me. But I had to do it. And I did!” said Prafull.
With an example really beautiful on how unconventional careers establish, the Founder and CEO of MBA Chaiwala said, “No one would call Sanjeev Kapoor a Halwai or a Roti banane wala. He is a Chef. So, in the same way, I am a Chaiwala and I’m proud to be it. I never introduce myself as MBA Chaiwala. I say, I’m a Chaiwala at MBA Chaiwala because that is my profession.” This was Prafull’s way of reaching out to tell people that anything and everything can be a career and you just need to have a Strong Will to do it.
“Kuch toh karna tha. Par kya wo nahi pata tha. Isliye jo saamne aaya wo kiya,” said Prafull while answering from where he got his inspiration from and how did the business seed implant in his head. MBA Chaiwala told INN that the reason behind him taking such a huge step of dropping out of MBA was of starting something of his own. MBA Cahiwala, the brand, sells tea not just in Ahmedabad but also in various major cities in the country like Kolkata, Indore, Bhopal and now, is on the way to expand across India and even abroad like Singapore.
“Teens or pre-Adults have been on the wrong track from the start. They ask for advice from people of their age who have almost the same experience as they do. This stagnated their growth and is absolutely useless. For humans out there, I would ask you to keep your friend circle elder to your age and they can be your family members too. They know things well with all perspectives and they can be your best guide,” Prafull told INN to tip the new-comers out there, wanting to start something of their own but are confused. He added, “If you want to be a ‘BIG MAN’ you need to set your priorities, parameters, choices and responsibilies that way. Don’t be happy over a guy DM’ing you on Instagram, try being happy over able to set up something of your own. The problems of Middle-Class families like ours are lifetime but, that doesn’t mean you give up on your dreams. Your life has to be a combination of Smart Work and Hard Work. Everyone fails. I started off early, failed till the age of 21, but now you know it all. The early you start, the more time you have for handling things. DO NOT WAIT FOR THE RIGHT TIME. The Right Time is when you start!”
Not to forget, Mr. Billore hasn’t stopped at just selling amazing tea but, he promises his audience a lot more. “We raise Funds, we do Events. I make Tea at Huge Weddings for the guests. I prepared tea at Vivek Oberoi’s Cousin’s wedding. Our Chai counter was set-up at Dia Mirza’s wedding, in the weddings at Hotel Taj, Hyatt, etc. We have an MBA Chaiwala foundation in which if needy individuals are wanting money from 2 lakh to 10 lakh, like, if you are a cancer patient or sick by any illness or in any extreme financial crisis, I will set up my team at that place and I will make tea ranging from Rs. 10 to Rs. 10K. It is a Team Marathon that will continue until the needed amount is collected. Because of this, influencers and eminent personalities of the place come and donate for the cause and it helps generating money for the individual,” kindhearted Prafull told INN. Adding in on the same point, Prafull said, “We collected 2.5 Lakh rupees by performing a Tea Marathon for helping the Kerala Floods.”
The MBA Chaiwala core team is of 35 individuals and considering the franchises’, they’re almost a family of 150. The Founder of the brand tells INN his aims: “My immediate goal after the pandemic is of a concept of ‘100 Cities, 100 Lives’. This will consist of one individual in extreme and genuine need of money from one city and once verified, we will run a tea making marathon to collect money for the individual. I don’t know where will I be, as an individual, in the next 10 years but I genuinely feel that students who want to go for MBA should think of first getting a franchise of MBA Chaiwala and then the actual MBA. MBA has to relate to Chaiwala first. And I also plan on starting entrepreneurship programs and courses for individuals under the same umbrella.”
Concluding the interview, Prafull gave a shoutout to the young aspiring entrepreneurs out there to take up anything they want to as a career and just walk the path. MBA Chaiwala franchise are also an open door for the aspiring business individuals out there as their start so as to gain confidence from running the franchise successfully and then, starting something of their own.
And this was it about Mr. Prafull Billore of Ahmedabad, the Founder and CEO of MBA Chaiwala and a youngster who believed in his work and passion, who runs tea marathons to collect funds and who is a Proud Chaiwala!
