A video capturing an Indian milkman’s pure astonishment over US grocery prices has surfaced on social media. Prabhakar Prasad, a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur popularly known as “Chaiguy,” shared a candid snippet of his conversation with his local milk seller in India. The vendor was left in complete shock upon learning that a single litre of milk costs around ₹450 in California. The interaction quickly escalated into a humorous business brainstorm when Prasad revealed he sells a single cup of tea for $10 ( ₹900), prompting the enterprising doodhwala to immediately pitch exporting his own dairy supply overseas.
“Bihari doodhwala couldn’t believe… Chaiguy pays 450 rupees for 1 litre milk in California!” wrote Prabhakar Prasad, who is popularly known as “Chaiguy” on Instagram.
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In a conversation with his milkman in India, Prasad shared that one litre of milk costs about ₹450 in the US. To which the milk seller looks at him in utter surprise.
Prasad then explains that he uses the milk to sell tea, prompting the milk seller to ask how much he charges per cup. When Prasad shares that he sells it for $10, which comes to about ₹900, the milkman is left astonished. As the conversation continues, the enterprising milkman asks Prasad if there is a way to export his own milk to the US, even suggesting using a fridge during transportation to keep it fresh.
Curious about life overseas, he then asks Prasad what it is actually like in the US. To this, the NRI replies that everything moves incredibly fast there, noting that though the country has its perks, it also comes with its own unique set of problems.
How did social media react?
An individual wrote, “The curiosity in his eyes.” Another commented, “Such a humble guy.” A few also reacted to the video using emoticons.
Who is “Chaiguy”?
The man behind the viral moniker is Prabhakar Prasad. Popular as “Bihari Chaiwala” or “Chaiguy”, he went from staying in a small town in Bihar to building a successful business in Los Angeles.
“I was good in studies, loved cricket, singing, and even became the school ‘Senapati’,” Prasad recalled in a conversation with Humans of Bombay. He added, “Overnight, my family left Bihar and moved to Bhopal. The shift was tough.”
Recollecting his struggles after the shift, the NRI revealed, “From a Bihar board school to an English CBSE one, I didn’t even understand basic words. Kids laughed at my accent. But I worked hard, caught up, and eventually cleared the IIT screening exam,” he said.
Though he landed a job, he wasn’t interested in the tech world. After a few years, he moved to the USA to pursue an MBA. “I worked corporate jobs, got fired more than once, and went through a painful breakup. At one point, my health collapsed.”
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Amid this painful journey, he also lost his job, and it was then that he started selling chai on a friend’s suggestion. After months of struggle, the “Chaiguy” persona struck a chord online. Prasad explained that, though he went viral, it hasn’t generated any direct sales. However, social media acts as a marketing tool.
“Back then, I had more money but less freedom and even less happiness. Today, I have very little money, but my freedom and happiness are at their peak. I am the master of my own will; I am no longer a corporate slave,” he once told AajTak while recalling his journey from India to the US.