Man sells Maggi in the mountains, internet stunned by his earnings: ‘Should I quit my job?’


There’s something quietly magical about eating a steaming plate of Maggi in the hills. In fact, India’s favourite brand of instant noodles has become almost synonymous with mountain dhabas — with hardly a shop that doesn’t serve it to tourists. But how much can one earn by selling Maggi in the mountains? One content creator put it to the test and came up with an answer.

Content creator Badal Thakur sells Maggi in the mountains to test earnings potential (Instagram/@fitt_badal)
Content creator Badal Thakur sells Maggi in the mountains to test earnings potential (Instagram/@fitt_badal)

Maggi in the mountains

After a long drive or a tiring hike, stopping at a small roadside stall for a plate of Maggi feels satisfying and wholesome. Its popularity can be attributed to several factors — Maggi is quick and easy to make, doesn’t require an elaborate setup, and, of course, it’s comforting in the cold weather. (Also read: Maggi still remains preference of tourists at hill stations)

But would it make for a profitable business to sell Maggi in the mountains? Content creator Badal Thakur recently decided to test it out.

Thakur set up a makeshift Maggi stall at an undisclosed location in the mountains. Going by his video, the location received a good footfall.

Setup and earnings

Thakur’s setup consisted of an LPG cylinder and a table. He sold a plate of Maggi for 70. A plate of Cheese Maggi cost 100 to buy. For context, a 75 gram single pack of Maggi costs 15 in the market.

Thakur said that in just four to five hours, he had sold 200 plates of Maggi. The video shows tourists flocking to his small stall to buy the instant noodles. At the end of the day, he sold between 300 to 350 plates of Maggi.

The content creator said that if each plate sold for 70, he made an easy 21,000 in one day.

This figure did not take into account his expenses, like the cost of his LPG cylinder, the disposable cutlery he used, and the packets of Maggi he bought. At the end of the day, his profit would have been less than 21,000.

Even so, social media users were much impressed by the earning potential.

Some pointed out that by selling Maggi 30 days a month, one could earn well over 6 lakhs every month.

“Job chod dun fir (Should I quit my job?)” asked one person. “Main toh chala Maggi bechne,” said another.

Thakur’s video has gone viral with 3.5 million views.