While most of us can’t think of escaping our everyday 9-6 job, a man in the mountains sold Maggie worth INR 21,000 in just one day! That’s what he claims on his social media profile. It was more of an experiment. The viral video titled as, ‘Selling Maggi in Mountains for a Day’ focused more on the idea that Maggie is a must-have mountain delicacy. Now the figure might sound unreal, but this is not the story of numbers. It is the tale of a boy who understood the mountains better than most adults ever will. Let’s find out how Badal Thakur, a content creator, thought of packets of instant noodles.The brilliant ideaThere was no business plan, no fancy restaurant, or grand ambition behind this. All Badal had was a brilliant idea which only required an LPG gas stove, some utensils, Maggi packets, and a perfect spot to sell his skill. People who travel in the mountains know the importance of warm food, especially a hot cup of chai and steaming bowl of soupy, slurpy Maggie. The air is thin, and cold. The hunger in mountains hits harder than in the plains. And that when hot, steaming and spicy, becomes more than food—it becomes comfort. And most importantly, people, visitors are ready to pay any amount for this comfort. “I’m here to see how much money we can make by selling Maggi in the mountains for one day,” he says in the beginning of the video.Badal noticed that people would trek for hours, most of the time underprepared, only to find that food options were scarce or overpriced. INR 70 per plate wasn’t cheap. But in that moment, in that cold weather, such an amount feels fair.The viral video It was a humble setup that started it all. In the video, we see a small stall with a single table with all his ingredients. Beside it, an LPG cylinder hissed softly as water boiled in a large pot. Two types of Maggi were on offer:Regular Maggi — INR 70 Cheese Maggi — INR 100Customers started arriving soon. First, one, then two, and then many. The tourist influx was getting out of hand but Badal managed. His hands worked fast, cooking and scooping steaming noodles onto disposable plates and serving hot to hungry tourists. Later in the video, he estimated that he had sold between 300 and 350 plates of Maggi, which when multiplied by 70 (30 x 70) added up to about ₹21,000. That’s his one day revenue for just one day of sales in the mountains.Funny reactions
yeah_badal/Instagram
The video received some funny and interesting reactions. Some people called it their “retirement plan” and playful commented “Job chod dun fir?” Some were quick enough to do math and said, a vendor could make around INR 6 lakh in a month. Some also offered a reality check: INR 21,000 was gross revenue. But let’s take other things into account like the cost of ingredients, disposables, gas cylinder, transport to a remote (undisclosed) location. Also let’s not ignore the physical effort of working in the mountains.More than just noodlesWhat makes Badal’s story interesting isn’t just the amount he made. It’s also about romancing the idea of possibility. No fancy setting, just a mountain backdrop and the spirit of doing something new and creative. It’s a story of curiosity, resourcefulness, and steaming plates of Maggi in the mountains. Badal didn’t wait for permission but for the perfect conditions and opportunity. He saw demand where others saw inconvenience and cold. In places where things are scarce and employment is difficult, such ideas can change lives.Badal didn’t create hunger, he saw opportunity in hungry people and responded to it.
