Agra tea vendor’s son brews bright future for himself as CA

The son of a roadside tea stall owner in Agra has qualified to become a chartered accountant and now hopes to find a job in an MNC.

A roadside tea stall in New Agra, known for its ‘kadak chai’, now has a new identity. The son of its owner, Vishnu Agarwal, has qualified to become a chartered accountant.

Vishnu Agarwal pours tea at his roadside stall in New Agra while his son Manoj looks on.

The results of the CA (final) exams were announced on Sunday, bringing good news for Manoj Agarwal (22). Manoj is one of Vishnu’s six children (two sons and four daughters) and assists his father at the tea stall.

After studying till Class 8 at a local school in Agra’s Nagla Padi area, Manoj joined MD Jain Inter College where he chose the commerce stream to study till Class 12. He scored 77 per cent in the UP Board exams.

“The turning point came when my teacher, Ishwar Chand Sharma, suggested that I go for chartered accountancy as he was confident that I would clear the exams,” Manoj said.

“I discussed the idea with my father and he supported me. After that, my schedule was such that I studied for at least seven to eight hours a day and assisted my father in the evenings besides attending coaching classes,” he added.

“My father is my inspiration as he has worked hard and has never let us feel any financial difficulties. Now, I look forward to joining a multinational company as a CA,” said Manoj, who also helps his brother who aspires to become a CA like him.

The proud father, Vishnu Agarwal, had moved to Agra from Mathura in 1997 to work in a hotel and later opened his tea stall on the roadside in the New Agra market. While elated over his son’s success, he intends to continue running his tea stall.

“My customers admire the quality of my tea,” said Vishnu with a smile. “I look forward to my younger son also becoming a CA,” he added, while preparing tea for his customers.