"It's a shame Anand Mahindra celebrates poverty porn instead of asking the government to give reasonable stipends to its researcher," a commenter wrote.

When there's determination, there's a path. A PhD scholar from Chennai has recently gone viral for managing both a full-time role as a research associate and operating a thriving food cart business. The individual,

Viral video of a PhD student balancing his studies with a food stall in Chennai has caught the attention of Anand Mahindra.

American vlogger Christopher Lewis filmed his interaction with Rayan while sampling dishes such as Chicken 65 and chicken cutlets, which were served from the vendor’s humble cart. However, what left Lewis most impressed was Rayan’s dedication to both his academic work and his part-time food business.

Tarul Rayan, a PhD food vendor from Chennai, is a doctorate candidate in biotechnology who went viral in September.