Updated: The company reached out to the 80-year-old sweet seller. Sterlite Copper's CFO A Sumathi posted this update on X.
Billionaire industrialist and founder of Vedanta Resources Anil Agarwal on Monday called for immediate help to an 80-year-old man selling homemade sweets on Chennai trains.
Agarwal appealed to Sterlite Copper, a Vedanta subsidiary, and tagged COO A Sumathi to immediately reach out to him and help him.
Agarwal was reacting to a social media thread from Sept. 9, 2025, by a user Dr Mouth Matters, which revealed the man's abandonment by his daughter in London.
This is heartbreaking.@sterlite_copper @COO_SIIL, please reach out immediately and help him. https://t.co/v4rMYE6Lkx
September 22, 2025The social media post is a story of an 80-year-old man, abandoned by his daughter living in London, who sells homemade sweets on Chennai trains to support himself and his elderly wife.
The post read, "Polis, Sweets & Tears behind every bite. Today, my heart broke when I saw an 80-year-old got pushed into hardship. Abandoned by his own daughter who now lives in London, he has taken up selling sweets and polis on the busy trains of Chennai, to support himself and his wife. His wife, in her late 70s, lovingly prepares them at home, and he walks out with dignity to sell what her hands create."
The elderly vendor's wife prepares sweets like athirasam and poli, whose quality was praised by the user. "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. And if you wish to support, please reach out to his contact number and place an order (In Chennai). Sometimes, the best food carries the weight of untold stories. Let's not let our elders feel abandoned in their final years," concluded the user.
It should be noted that Tamil actor Raghava Lawrence donated Rs 1 lakh after the post went viral.
According to a report in AP, by 2050, two-thirds of the world's population of people 60 and older will reside outside the world's wealthiest nations. India is projected to see growth among its old that far outstrips that of the young.
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