Couple with disabilities runs successful snack stall on Madipakkam Lake View Road

A married couple, both with locomotor disabilities, has established a successful roadside snack business on Lake View Road in Madipakkam, Chennai, serving local residents and walkers daily for the last seven years.

Prabhu L. and Priya Prabhu run their modest venture, named Madipakkam Rao Home Foods, every day from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Over nearly a decade, they have built a loyal customer base among local walkers who frequent the lake front.

The business began with an initial investment of ₹10,000. Prabhu, who holds a postgraduate degree in computer applications, previously worked as a telephone operator in Dharmapuri and later at Sutherland Global Services in Chennai. He chose to leave his corporate job to help Priya, who had studied up to Class X, become a self-reliant entrepreneur.

The couple’s entrepreneurial journey started in 2007 when they purchased an oil-extracting machine to sell cold-pressed oil. As summer arrived, they began preparing and selling avakai pickles, eventually expanding their product line to include apalams, vadams, and various other snacks.

Initially, they sold their savouries outside different temples in Madipakkam, dedicating each day to a specific area. They later shifted their operations to Lake View Road, which proved highly successful as local walkers began noticing and supporting their efforts.

Several individuals and local organizations have aided the couple. TRV Rajan of Techcom Solutions helped them launch the venture. Additionally, V. R. Muralidharan, president of TAMBRAS Velachery, and Keerthi Vasan Iyer from the Agraharam Group provided them with free exhibition stalls to showcase their products.

The couple also expressed gratitude for the consistent support received from local residents, including Sumathi Raghuraman, Radha Sethuraman, Brindha Subbarao, and Vijayalakshmi Sreeram.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the couple faced severe business struggles. To sustain their operations, their son assisted them by delivering orders directly to customers' doorsteps.

Today, the business has successfully empowered Priya, who expressed happiness at learning how to run an enterprise and achieving financial independence.