MBA CHAIWALA - THE TALK OF THE TOWN !

He dared to dream, and dream big. And then he decided to do it. And how !

At the young age of 26, he carved out a niche for himself that most dream of doing. He built a Rs 4 crore tea empire that continues to grow under his leadership.

Who is he, you ask?

He is Prafull billore, the man behind the hugely successful brand MBA Chaiwala. His story is as unassuming as the man himself.

EARLY LIFE

He was born in Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh and grew up in modest circumstances. It was his parent’s wish that he complete his MBA in order to secure a high-paying job.

Prafull tried hard to fulfill his parent’s wish and even attempted the CAT (Common Admission Test) in order to secure admission into IIM at Ahmedabad. He was unsuccessful and, well, uninterested. After three failed attempts at clearing CAT, he gave up on formal education.

CAREER

“I wanted to be a big man. बचपन से बहुत तंग समय देखा था, and so my only passion was to make more money and live a comfortable life.”

His aspirations did not lie with his parents. As a young man of 20, he was still struggling to understand what he could do. He traveled to various cities in India at minimal cost, meeting and talking to new people which gave him many insights.

He read success stories about American businessmen like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson. Prafull realized a common thread between these people. All of them, at some point in their lives, had worked for McDonald’s in Ahmedabad and earned Rs. 300/- a day. Simultaneously, he began exploring business opportunities and quickly realized that most businesses asked for a very high initial investment. An amount that he did not have. So, he settled for a simple plan.

He decided to start selling tea. He borrowed Rs. 8000/- from his father under false pretences. He, then, invested that money toward buying the investor that he needed to start a small roadside tea shop. All the while, he kept his day job working at McDonald’s.

The first day that he made tea, he could not sell a single cup. Not one to give up, he came up with a plan. The next day, he began approaching people, engaging them in conversation.

The fact that a roadside tea seller was speaking fluent English was fascinating for people. To top it up, Prafull was serving tea in earthenware cups with a slice of toast and tissue paper- a complete antithesis to the image of a regular tea seller. Soon he becoming famous, as was his conversation.

His growing fame came at a price. The other tea vendors in the surrounding area were unhappy with the new kid on the block. They conspired to close his operations and resorted to bullying and threatening Prafull.

Sensibly, Prafull decided to close his stall, but, undaunted, he approached a hospital owner and with his permission and help from other authorities, opened up another stall near the hospital. He named it MBA Chaiwala. He jokingly says - “MBA stands for Mr. billore Ahmedabad.

To increase his customer base, Prafull deepened his customer engagement by creating a small corner for job seekers. He put up a whiteboard for the job seekers to write down their details so potential employers could contact them.

Such was his fame that YouTubers put up videos of him further helping him reach a larger base. This was how his parents first heard of him selling tea instead of earning a degree. Initially upset with him, they, however, understood his motivation.

JOURNEY SO FAR

Prafull continually found ways to engage with his customers. Organizing cricket matches, ludo games or even just a place where people could leave messages for loved ones were various activities that people looked forward to anytime they visited his stall. Two years of operation from Ahmedabad allowed Praful to expand to his first franchisee cafe in Bhopal.

Now five years later, the brand that is MBA Chaiwala is more than 50 franchisee outlets strong and growing stronger. They undertake large-scale catering orders for parties, weddings, etc.

His goal is to create a millionaire from every village through his franchisee business model.

CONCLUSION

“If anyone asks me to make chai today, I won't. I don’t like it. I was struggling when I was making tea on the street but now, I am focusing on expanding my business,” he quips.

Prafull billore burst on the Indian business scene with a steaming hot cup of chai and is serving his way to the top. His dynamism, energetic approach to life and willingness to learn and engage has won him many admirers. He is like a duck - calm on the surface and paddling furiously beneath to reach his goal quickly.

Here’s wishing him all the luck in this journey.