‘Google my name’: PhD scholar selling street food in Tamil Nadu tells vlogger

A PhD scholar running a street food cart in Chennai recently caught the eye of the famous American vlogger Christopher Lewis.
Lewis, who was exploring Tamil Nadu, discovered the food cart on Google Maps and decided to visit it.
At the cart, Lewis ordered a plate of Chicken 65. Waiting for his order, Lewis initiated a chat with the vendor and was surprised to learn about his educational background. “I’m currently pursuing my PhD,” the vendor said in the video.
He then told Lewis he was pursuing a PhD in Biotechnology and added that the vlogger could find his research articles on Google. “If you Google my name, you’ll find my research articles.”
The vlogger then searches Google for the vendor’s name and college: “Tarul Rayan SRM University.”
The viral clip was shared on social media via X (formerly Twitter) user FI_InvestIndia. While sharing the video, the user said, “Respect. Such stories need to be shared widely. Have an inspiring day ahead…”
The video gained great traction and had over 81.8K views until the story was written. Several users engaged in the comment section of the X post and highlighted that many students work part-time and help their parents in Tamil Nadu.
“The same YouTuber went to Marina Beach and ate Corn in a shop. A girl was there helping her mom and doing college. In Tamil Nadu, you can see many students doing part-time and helping their parents,” a user commented.
“This is one example why TN leads. Knowing English is the gateway to acquire knowledge,” another added.
One user also tried to give the video a north vs south angle and said, “This is what a difference is between south and north. North, you guys are focusing only on religion and caste. Here, we treat everyone the same. Our primary focus is on education.”
Notably, over the past decade, several startups with entrepreneurs like MBA Chaiwali, BTech Panipuri Wali, Audi Chaiwala have boomed in India. These entrepreneurs have also garnered a lot of attention on social media.