Hyderabad: This ‘MBA Limbu Pani Wala’ means business

Hyderabad: When he could have easily bagged a corporate job and worked in an air-conditioned office, a 26-year-old MBA graduate has chosen to set up a roadside stall selling lemonade.

Joining the ever-growing tribe of entrepreneurs in the city, Mohammed Arif Hussain started ‘MBA Limbu Pani Wala’ in February 2021 with a single dream – to build a successful business on his own merit, says Arif, “I wanted to do something on my own. And I found a gap in the lemonade businesses in the city. We indeed have many lemon soda stalls, but how many of them are using clean water and are hygienic?”

At his stall, he uses mineral water and makes sure that the premises are clean and hygienic, at all times. With his interactive demeanor and cheerful smile, he serves lemonades in three variations – soda nimbu pani, plain nimbu pani, and dry ice nimbu pani. They come in sweet, sour, and masala flavours. Along with lemonade, he also sells mocktails with prices ranging between Rs 30 to Rs 60.

Initial reactions to his decision of setting up a roadside stall were met with doubts, he says, adding, “Everybody doubted it. Things like ‘gharwalon ka naam kharab kare’ and ‘bade khandaan se hoke aise kaam’ were said to me in a discouraging way. But there is no compulsion that if I have an MBA degree, I will have to do a job. I have a degree in business administration, which basically means I learned how to run a business.”

With the growing popularity of his small business on social media platforms, Arif is now opening up to the concept of franchises. Additionally, he has also been receiving investment offers to expand his business.