In 2007, Greenhills Estate, a coffee plantation in Kodagu, fell on hard times. Its owner, A.T. Chengapa, had taken ill two years earlier and couldn’t manage his affairs. Grappling with a financial crisis, he sold 25 acres to pay off his debts. But he still owed the banks Rs 40 lakh, Meanwhile, his plantation continued to decline.
Chengapa had two daughters. The younger one, Dalia, 35, resigned from her job at American Express and returned home to revive the family business.
“I had no clue about how to run an estate. Since Dad. . .
