ISRO Hires Pani Puri Seller!

In the dusty lanes of a small town in Maharashtra, a young boy named Ramdas Hemraj pushed a pani puri cart, not just to feed others but to fuel a dream. He didn’t have a desk, a tuition teacher, or even electricity at home. What he had, however, was grit. And that grit took him all the way from roadside stalls to India’s premier space agency ISRO.

The Struggle: Selling Snacks, Studying Dreams

Born into poverty, Ramdas had to grow up fast. His father, a daily wage laborer, couldn’t make ends meet. So, at just 14, Ramdas began selling pani puri from a bicycle cart after school. By evening, he’d be seen under dim streetlights, pouring over borrowed textbooks, still wearing his vendor's apron.

“Customers would laugh when they saw me with a book next to the cart,” Ramdas says. “But I’d think one day, I’ll make it.”

Juggling Work and Study

Ramdas completed his 10th and 12th grades with modest marks, but his interest in machines and electronics grew stronger. He enrolled in an Industrial Training Institute (ITI), where he studied electrical engineering, attending classes in the morning and working evenings on his food cart.

Every rupee he earned went into his education tuition fees, second-hand books, and exam forms. Even when he failed once in a subject, he refused to give up.

“I wasn’t the smartest student,” he admits, “but I was the most stubborn.”

The Turning Point: ISRO Recruitment Exam

In 2023, ISRO announced openings for technician positions. Ramdas applied, almost hesitantly. “I thought ISRO? That’s for toppers, not pani puri sellers,” he laughs.

But he studied hard six hours a day after work, revising circuits, physics, and problem-solving. He even took a loan to buy a basic smartphone to access free online lectures and mock tests.

Months later, he cleared the written test

Then came the interview, where he spoke not just with technical knowledge but with passion. He shared his journey openly, even telling the panel about his roadside stall.

A few weeks later, he got the letter: Selected. Technician-B. Indian Space Research Organisation.

Now: From Earth to Space

Today, Ramdas works at one of ISRO’s satellite centers, helping test components used in real missions. He wears a uniform with pride and still carries photos of his food cart on his phone.

His mother cries every time she sees him in the ISRO canteen. “Earlier, he fed others chaat. Now, he helps India reach the stars,” she says.

A Message to Dreamers

“You don’t need a fancy background to dream big"