From Degrees To Delicacies: The Rise Of Educated Street Vendors in Mohali

Time of India

4 hours ago

Mohali: "Ammi jaan kehti thi, koi dhanda chota nahi hota aur dhande se bada koi dharm nahi hota." When Shah Rukh Khan's character in Raees delivered this line, it echoed beyond the screen — a gritty nod to the dignity of labour.
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Today, that sentiment is being played out on Mohali's streets, where engineering degree holders, law professionals, and even graduates pursuing BCom are trading boardrooms for pizza stalls and courtroom robes for momo counters.
In Mohali's 3B2 market, this quiet but striking trend is unfolding: educated youth — armed with degrees but disillusioned by the job market — are launching food stalls. Some see it as a survival response to underemployment; others call it a bold pursuit of passion, autonomy, and purpose.
Either way, it's rewriting what success looks like in modern India.
As you walk the area, the enticing aroma of delicious street food fills the air. What was once a space dominated by "less formally educated" vendors is now seeing a surge of degree holders — graduates from top colleges and even former professionals from coveted jobs — running stalls that offer everything from pizzas, burgers, waffles, and bhelpuri to Chinese cuisine and healthy salads.
But what's driving this shift away from the once-coveted 9-to-5? Is it the sting of rising unemployment, or a deeper pursuit of passion and independence? According to the latest Annual PLFS report (2022–23), Chandigarh's estimated unemployment rate for individuals aged 15 and above stood at 4%, higher than the national average of 3.2%. The worker population ratio (WPR) in the same age group was 45.6%, pointing to a significant segment of the population still outside the formal workforce.
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'I pay my helper more than the stipend we get during internships'
Interestingly, among the many food carts in the market stands 'Advocate Momos Wala', run by 22-year-old Yash Jain, a fourth-year BCom LLB student at Panjab University. While juggling his internship with a chartered accountant, Yash says, "These days, degrees don't hold much value." He points out the long journey required to make a mark in law — five years of study, followed by several more of low-paid practice.
"By the time you become a senior advocate, you've aged too much," he says.
Sharing a stark comparison, he adds, "I pay my helper more than the stipend we get during internships." He doesn't mind the judgment from others. "People talk, but we study during exams and work the rest of the time. We're managing both." As for his future? "I'll go where the opportunities are better."
'Queen of Health'
Taking a healthier route, 22-year-old Simran Kaur runs a cart called 'Queen of Health', offering salads, sandwiches, wraps, and subs.
Currently pursuing BCom through correspondence at Panjab University, she started her venture a year ago, driven by a desire to counter the junk food crowding the market. "Healthy food should be just as available and accessible," she says. Her earlier job at a logistics company left her unfulfilled.
"You spend so much on education but earn so little. The return on investment just doesn't make sense," she explains. Her message to the youth is clear: "Instead of going abroad and doing odd jobs, why not stay here and start something of your own?"
'Work is work — what matters is being self-reliant'
New to the scene are Deepanshu and his wife Jyot, who set up their bhelpuri cart just a week ago.
Married six months ago, Deepanshu holds an IT diploma while Jyot, a BA graduate with a diploma in cosmetology, also freelances in the salon business. "We got bored of the salon line and decided to try something new," says Deepanshu. Their journey hasn't been smooth — facing objections from nearby vendors challenges — but they remain undeterred.
"Kaam koi bhi bada chota nhi hota," Jyot says. "Doesn't matter if it's in a building or on the roadside — what matters is being self-reliant," Deepanshu said.
While passion drives their cart, they agree that "money follows when you love what you do."
Choosing work-life balance
Then there's Baljit Singh, a BTech graduate who worked in the merchant navy for eight years before choosing family over a seafaring life. His travels took him to Venice, where he noticed authentic Neapolitan pizzas being sold on every corner. Inspired, he came home and started his own food cart — serving pizzas, waffles, and potato twisters.
"The work-life balance is better here," he says, proudly keeping his setup true to its street-food roots.
'Rewriting what dignity in work looks like'
While talking to TOI, Muskan Monga, a customer, said when I see someone running a food stall and then I learn they're an engineer, a law student, or a graduate from a reputed university, it flips a switch. It forces me to unlearn the bias that education must always end in a corporate office or behind a desk.
It makes me respect them even more — because they're not just feeding people, they're rewriting what dignity in work looks like.
Another customer, on his views on the idea that it is a waste of education if someone ends up doing a food cart job, said: Who's to say they aren't applying what they've learned? Running a food stall takes business sense, marketing skills, financial management — things you pick up through education and experience. Saying it's a waste is like saying dignity only exists in a cubicle. I'd argue the opposite — maybe they're the ones making the most out of what they've learned, just on their own terms.