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Business

From snacks to riches.

By: Karthik :+: Under: Business, Crime, Desi Ishtyle, Humor, It Happens Only in India
On: ⋅ August 10, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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Careful, your Dosa Wallah could be coming to work in a Mercedes.

Every now and again we come across stories of people who started out small and made it big. Bill Gates working out of his parents garage, Dhiurbhai Ambani starting out as a clerk are all inspiring stories. But in most cases, these men did not find themselves behind bars.

I found myself reading a story worthy of a Hollywood movie (which will eventually be copied by Desi directors). Snack seller makes friends in high places, starts doing well in business, uses his political contacts to buy property, collects expensive cars and to not blow his cover keeps selling snacks.

People scamming citizens should be behind bars, but you still have to appreciate the genius plan the man had.

So tasty was his chhole — a popular chickpea snack — that it earned him influential patrons and, in 1986, a contract to run the canteen inside the city legislature. But 21 years on, Mr Malhotra has been exposed as someone potentially far more powerful — and sinister — than a humble chhole-wallah.

The CBI estimated that Mr. Malhotra was worth anywhere between 1 and 10 Million GBP. But they also found something that reminded me of my dad’s “Never forget where you came from” phrase.

When CBI agents raided his houses, as well as the cars, they found ten motorbikes, 1.7 million rupees (£20,000) in cash and 7kg (15lb 7oz) of gold. They also found the Bajaj three-wheeler that launched his career.

Moral of the story: Ethics are very important, even if you are scamming people.

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