In a country where the middle-class dream often revolves around a secure 9-to-5 job and a high annual package, Saket Saurabh chose a very different future. He walked away from a Rs 50 lakh corporate salary to sell momos, not as a side hustle, but as a serious business bet on India’s growing street-food economy.
The video struck a chord online, crossing nearly three lakh views. In the caption, Saket wrote, “From road-side cart to a proper franchising business. Every step earned. And this is just the beginning.”
There, an unexpected pattern emerged, momos sold more than parathas and biryani. Curious, the family experimented further. As Saket told HT.com, they first set up a small canopy selling only momos, followed by a cart outside an Infotech office.
The result was immediate. The cart started pulling in Rs 10,000–Rs 12,000 a day.
The team faced repeated challenges, from authorities removing carts to staffing shortages and weather disruptions. These issues forced a rethink of the business model.
The strategy worked. Today, The Momos Mafia operates 40 carts, 20 outlets, and two quick-service restaurants across seven states.
The financial growth matched the expansion. As per the report, Saket earned Rs 16 lakh between January and March 2024. During 2024–25, revenues jumped to Rs 2.2 crore.
This year alone, the business has already made Rs 2.2 crore and is aiming to close near Rs 3 crore. In just two-and-a-half years, total earnings have crossed Rs 5 crore.
Saket has clear advice for those dreaming of making it big in the momo business. , “Start with a proper outlet. Do not start with a stall. With a stall, you can earn maybe a lakh, Rs 2 lakh or Rs 4 lakh. But when you talk about bigger numbers and a proper business, start with an outlet. This is one of my big learnings,” he told HT.
Who is Saket Saurabh? The Rs 52 lakh job he quit to sell momos
Saket Saurabh, co-founder and CEO of The Momos Mafia, quit a Rs 52 lakh-a-year product manager job in September 2023 to chase an unlikely dream, building a big dumplings brand in India. Despite a stable pay cheque at FlixStock, he chose entrepreneurship, betting on momos and scale. The move, which recently went viral on social media, has now turned into a fast-growing food business spread across multiple states.Why he walked away from a high-paying corporate job
In an interview with HT, Saket said he wanted to build “a recognisable dumplings brand in India” even if it meant giving up financial comfort. Around the same time, he posted an Instagram reel titled “50 lakh ki job resign kar chale momo business karne”.The video struck a chord online, crossing nearly three lakh views. In the caption, Saket wrote, “From road-side cart to a proper franchising business. Every step earned. And this is just the beginning.”
Family experiments that sparked the idea
After graduating from NIFT Delhi in 2014, Saket co-founded Wowflux, which was later acquired by FlixStock. While working full-time, he began helping his sister and brother-in-law at Gurgaon's Bamboo Cafe.There, an unexpected pattern emerged, momos sold more than parathas and biryani. Curious, the family experimented further. As Saket told HT.com, they first set up a small canopy selling only momos, followed by a cart outside an Infotech office.
The result was immediate. The cart started pulling in Rs 10,000–Rs 12,000 a day.
Early struggles after launching The Momos Mafia
The Momos Mafia was officially launched in January 2024 with partners Ekta Kumari, Gautam, Surya Prakash, and Shubham Thakur. But growth did not come easy.The team faced repeated challenges, from authorities removing carts to staffing shortages and weather disruptions. These issues forced a rethink of the business model.
From street carts to the CSR model
To scale up, the team shifted to what they call a “CSR model” — Cart Service Restaurant. The idea was simple: cosy outlets supported by carts placed outside to drive volume.The strategy worked. Today, The Momos Mafia operates 40 carts, 20 outlets, and two quick-service restaurants across seven states.
The financial growth matched the expansion. As per the report, Saket earned Rs 16 lakh between January and March 2024. During 2024–25, revenues jumped to Rs 2.2 crore.
This year alone, the business has already made Rs 2.2 crore and is aiming to close near Rs 3 crore. In just two-and-a-half years, total earnings have crossed Rs 5 crore.
Saket has clear advice for those dreaming of making it big in the momo business. , “Start with a proper outlet. Do not start with a stall. With a stall, you can earn maybe a lakh, Rs 2 lakh or Rs 4 lakh. But when you talk about bigger numbers and a proper business, start with an outlet. This is one of my big learnings,” he told HT.
