BHOPAL, Feb. 22 -- Nearly nine decades ago, a youngish man presented himself to Sir Sobha Singh and convinced him to establish an ice cream factory in the sleepy little town he ruled. The year was 1939.
Sensing opportunity, the real estate magnate set up the Nerbudda Ice Cream factory on a 12-acre plot leased to him by the man, Nawab Hamidullah Khan, the last ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Bhopal. The results were sweet-the business flourished, bringing in dollops of cash for Singh, while the Nawab found solace in fostering an enterprise that provided employment to his people.
The incident, cited by city historians, is a testament to the win-win scenarios that arise when administrators aggressively pursue investment for the bene...