Viral Video: Chennai’s PhD student selling street food impresses American, internet says, ‘There are many gems…’ | Watch

A PhD scholar running a street food card in Chennai won the internet's heart after an American vlogger shared his story of struggle and determination online. Christopher Lewis was exploring Tamil Nadu when he met Tarul Rayan, a street food vendor in Chennai. 

What was expected to be a short visit to enjoy non-veg street food turned into a glimpse of the inspiring journey of youngsters like Rayan, who pursue their education alongside their work. Lewis had discovered the food card on Google Maps and decided to try the food. He entered into a conversation with Rayan while waiting for his order. Later, he was surprised to find that Rayan was a PhD student in Biotechnology. 

The video shared by the American vlogger has gone viral on social media. In the video, Tarul Rayan can be heard explaining to Lewis about his PhD in Biotechnology. Rayan said that he is pursuing his PhD from the SRM University and also urged Lewis to search for his research articles on Google. Few seconds later, the vlogger did a small Google search for the vendor's name and college and found many research articles authored by Rayan.

Rayan's academic qualifications and his will to work harder alongside his hustel to earn money impressed Lewis. The video has been shared widely on the internet. Several users applauded Rayan's spirit and called him a motivation for many youngsters in the city. 

“Support local businesses! There are many good gems out there,” commented a social media user on the post.

“That is tamilnadu, u can see lot of inspiring stories and u will know why politically it different from other states.”

“I don’t know why stuff like this makes me shed a tear. All the hardships but that smile and self respect. I wish be like this seller some day.”

“The future of India is in the micro level entrepreneurship. This will solve the employment challenges in india.”

“This is one example why TN leads. Knowing English is the gateway to acquire knowledge.”