Meet Hussain Mansuri
Entrepreneur- his is a
rags-to-riches story
Hussain Mansuri is a Mumbai-based out entrepreneur and philanthropist and emerged from the shanties of Mumbai to devote his life to most of one’s resources to a cause.helping the city’s poor. His times of travail – a period of painful, laborious work
After facing job rejections, he found fulfillment in service.
A viral video of a thoughtful gesture won for him widespread recognition.
Today, Hussain has devoted his entire existence towards empowering the poor and marginalised communities of the city that influenced. In an intensely moving account he shared with The Humans of Bombay, Hussain Mansuri traced his journey from deprivation to purpose, moulded
by struggle, empathy, and an unshakable belief in human gesture.
Hussain spent his childhood in a household where even necessities were hard to secure. Notwithstanding limited means, his parents poured all their strength and savings into ensuring he received an English-medium education, pinning hopes that it would open doors they never had access to.
Academically, he did not stand out, but books became his refuge. He gravitated toward reading about life, philosophy, and spirituality, finding wisdom that went far beyond textbooks. Those pages instilled in him values no classroom lesson ever could—understanding others’ pain, practicing compassion, and daring to care in a harsh world.
After college education, Hussain set his foot in the job market filled with hope, only to be met with repeated disappointment. His limited command of English turned out to a barrier, interviews led nowhere, and rejection slowly turned familiar.
Eventually In 2009, he secured his first role in accounting. Although it provided stability, the routine slowly drained him. Sitting at a desk all day felt suffocating, and he realized that his true strength lay in interacting with people, not numbers on a screen. That realization marked a turning point—he understood that his calling was service, not spreadsheets.
Hussain in 2001joined an airline as ground staff, where helping travelers brought him genuine fulfillment. Assisting people through stressful moments turned into intensely meaningful to him. On one occasion, he even risked disciplinary action to help a struggling couple with a Kuwait visa, driven by his own memories of how life-altering small opportunities can be for families with limited resources.
Later, he left aviation after being promised a business opportunity that never materialized. Left without income or savings, he borrowed money wherever he could and opened a tiny garment stall beneath a bridge. Business was slow, and on quiet days, he personally carried customers’ shopping bags to build trust and ensure they returned. Those difficult years strengthened his resilience, grounded him in humility, and reinforced the importance of sincere human connection.
On one fine evening at a roadside tea stall tranaformed everything. Hussain noticed an exhausted woman, bought her a cup of tea, and sat with her. A friend recorded the moment. Months later, he paired the video with a reflective message about staying humble and shared it online. The clip resonated far beyond expectation, propelling him from a few thousand followers to millions and revealing how far simple acts of kindness can travel.
As of today Hussain runs his own business, yet service remains at the core of his life. Whether sharing food, speaking kindly to workers, or feeding large groups outside hospitals, he strives to remain approachable and compassionate. Through his journey, he has learned that real richness lies not in wealth or status, but in the power to give, to care, and to make another person’s life a little easier.
News Edit KV Raman
