'This is heartbreaking': Vedanta's Anil Agarwal directs Sterlite CFO to help 80-yr-old sweet seller
Agarwal's response came after a social media user described the man as about 80 years old and said he had been "pushed into hardship" after being abandoned by his daughter, who now lives in London
- Sep 22, 2025,
- Updated Sep 22, 2025 9:24 PM IST
Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal on Monday directed the Sterlite Copper team to reach out after a viral social-media post showed an elderly man selling homemade sweets and poli on trains in Chennai. "This is heartbreaking. @sterlite_copper @COO_SIIL, please reach out immediately and help him," Agarwal wrote on X.
Agarwal's response came after a social media user described the man as about 80 years old and said he had been "pushed into hardship" after being abandoned by his daughter, who now lives in London. His wife, in her late 70s, prepares the sweets at home and he sells them on busy trains to support both of them, the post said.
The thread added: "I tasted them — and believe me, they are pure, divine, and filled with love. If you come across him, don’t just buy a sweet or a poli — buy his strength, his resilience, his unbroken spirit."
The tweet called on travellers to buy from the man and, if they wished to help further, to contact the number posted by the user to place orders in Chennai. It concluded: "Sometimes, the best food carries the weight of untold stories. Let’s not let our elders feel abandoned in their final years."
The post drew several public reactions. Product strategist Monica Jasuja wrote: "Terrible children who have abandoned this hardworking soul. Wish everyone who travels on this route see your tweet and support this uncles Ji’s attempt to earn an honest living."
Another user, Akash, tagged BJP leader K Annamalai and asked for official attention, writing: "kindly consider looking into this sir. It’s a testament to the senior citizen’s dignity, grit and tenacity to earn an livelihood despite advanced age. But as a society, I don’t think our seniors should experience such hardships."
Agarwal's appeal named Sterlite Copper and the chief operating officer of SIIL, asking them specifically to "please reach out immediately and help him."
Vedanta Group chairman Anil Agarwal on Monday directed the Sterlite Copper team to reach out after a viral social-media post showed an elderly man selling homemade sweets and poli on trains in Chennai. "This is heartbreaking. @sterlite_copper @COO_SIIL, please reach out immediately and help him," Agarwal wrote on X.
Agarwal's response came after a social media user described the man as about 80 years old and said he had been "pushed into hardship" after being abandoned by his daughter, who now lives in London. His wife, in her late 70s, prepares the sweets at home and he sells them on busy trains to support both of them, the post said.
The thread added: "I tasted them — and believe me, they are pure, divine, and filled with love. If you come across him, don’t just buy a sweet or a poli — buy his strength, his resilience, his unbroken spirit."
The tweet called on travellers to buy from the man and, if they wished to help further, to contact the number posted by the user to place orders in Chennai. It concluded: "Sometimes, the best food carries the weight of untold stories. Let’s not let our elders feel abandoned in their final years."
The post drew several public reactions. Product strategist Monica Jasuja wrote: "Terrible children who have abandoned this hardworking soul. Wish everyone who travels on this route see your tweet and support this uncles Ji’s attempt to earn an honest living."
Another user, Akash, tagged BJP leader K Annamalai and asked for official attention, writing: "kindly consider looking into this sir. It’s a testament to the senior citizen’s dignity, grit and tenacity to earn an livelihood despite advanced age. But as a society, I don’t think our seniors should experience such hardships."
Agarwal's appeal named Sterlite Copper and the chief operating officer of SIIL, asking them specifically to "please reach out immediately and help him."