Oh, how much better our world would be if everybody followed Kamalaathaal’s example: The 80-year-old sells breakfast on-the-go in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore – and she hasn’t changed the price of her fluffy idlis ever since she started her business 30 years ago.
The idlis – rice cakes – are served in the front of her home with free sambhar, or lentil soup, and chutney. Each idli costs just one rupee, yet Kamalaathaal still manages to make a profit selling 500 a day.
“I spend 300 rupees to buy rice, lentils, coconut, oil and other ingredients every day, and my average sales are around 500 rupees,” she explains.
The 80-year-old grandma does everything from buying ingredients to preparing the meals and serving her customers herself. Her day begins early in the morning, and she starts serving from 6am until noon.
“I will continue to sell idlis for one rupee each until I die. I will never change this,” says Kamalaathaal.
