Former engineer preserves 80 year old Indian sweet tradition in Malaysia

Bhoopender Singh has managed the Jai Hind restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for over four decades.

He took over the family business in 1984 after quitting his career as a chemical engineer to help his mother preserve the struggling establishment. The restaurant has served Punjabi cuisine and traditional Indian sweets since 1946. The restaurant's name originated from a 1945 speech by Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose in Kuala Lumpur.

Singh grew up in the restaurant and began working there at age 12. He continues to use traditional recipes and ingredients sourced from India to produce popular sweets like barfi, palkova, and ladoo. While Singh remains the primary operator of the business, the future of the family legacy remains uncertain. His daughters live in Australia and do not plan to return, and his son has shown no interest in taking over the shop.

Singh currently continues to serve regular customers and celebrates the Deepavali festival with his workers.