Selling golgappas by day, studying by night: How a Maharashtra man chased his ISRO dream with sheer grit and perseverance

Time of India

25-05-2025

In a quiet village tucked away in Maharashtra's
Gondia district
, a young man once roamed the dusty lanes pushing a 'golgappa' cart from village to village. While others saw a roadside snack vendor,
Ramdas Hemraj Marbade
carried a dream far bigger than the sky above him — to one day work at India's most prestigious
space agency
,
ISRO
.
According to a report from India TV, by day, Ramdas sold golgappas to earn a living and support his family. By night, under dim lights and sheer determination, he immersed himself in textbooks, driven by an ambition that refused to be crushed by his circumstances. Today, at 25, he is living that dream — working as a
Pump Operator-cum-Mechanic
at ISRO's Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Rooted in Struggles, Rising Through Grit
Ramdas hails from Khairbodi village in Tiroda tehsil. His father, a retired peon from a government school, and his mother, a homemaker, had little to offer in material wealth — but gave him unwavering support and the spirit to persevere.
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Formal college education wasn't a luxury he could afford. After completing school at Ganesh High School in Gumadhavada and his 12th at C.G. Patel College, Ramdas pursued his B.A. privately through YCM College in Nashik. The finances were tight, but giving up wasn't in his vocabulary.
A Path Less Trodden: Skills Over Syllabus
Realising the power of
vocational skills
in opening doors, Ramdas enrolled in a Pump Operator-cum-Mechanic course at the
Industrial Training Institute
(ITI) in Tirora. There, he picked up vital technical know-how — from operating centrifugal and reciprocating pumps to water treatment techniques and oil equipment maintenance.
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This hands-on expertise became his ticket to the stars. In 2023, when ISRO invited applications for
apprentice trainees
, Ramdas applied without hesitation. He cleared the written exam in Nagpur in 2024 and aced the skill test in Sriharikota in August, 2024.
In May, 2025, a letter that once seemed like a distant dream became reality; Ramdas officially joined ISRO.
— IndianTechGuide (@IndianTechGuide)
From Local Streets to Launchpads
Now employed at ISRO, Ramdas contributes to intricate research tasks as part of India's space endeavours. His daily routine no longer involves spicy street treats but the precision and focus required in the world of advanced technology and national space missions.
The boy who once balanced steel plates on his golgappa cart now handles the complexities of pump mechanics vital to ISRO's functioning. His tale echoes far beyond his hometown — it stands as a soaring testament to ambition meeting action.
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An Inspiration Rising from the Dust
Ramdas's incredible transformation has become a source of immense pride in Gondia district. His story is not just about a job at ISRO — it is about hope, hard work, and never letting go of one's dreams, no matter how distant they may seem.
In a world that often looks for heroes in headlines, this young man from Maharashtra reminds us that true inspiration sometimes rolls quietly down the street, with a golgappa cart and stars in its eyes.
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