The Old Bombay Scoop: How an army aspirant built an empire of taste

Old Mumbai Ice Cream has grown from its first outlets in Ichalkaranji and Sangli to more than 25 stores across India.

Written by Kalyani Lad

In 1978,  Rambabu Ramraj Sharma boarded a bus from the dunes of Rajasthan to Belgaum, then still a part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency and now in Karnataka. The purpose was singular – an Army recruitment interview.

A young man driven by discipline and duty, Sharma cleared every requisite stage. The uniform was within reach. But permission from his father never came. He was asked to find some other job.

Deeply disillusioned, Rambabu made a quiet, defiant decision. He would not return home.
What followed were years of drifting and odd jobs, a period of struggle that would have broken many. But in that uncertainty, Sharma found an unlikely calling – one of India’s most beloved desserts, ice cream.

It was not just a business idea; it was a craft he chose to master. In 1981, he formalised that passion and christened it Old Mumbai Ice Cream.

“Since he learnt how to make these ice creams in the old Bombay region, he stuck to naming it just that,” says his son Netrapal Ram Babu Sharma, 40, who now helms the brand.

The journey began with its first outlet in Ichalkaranji, followed soon by another in Sangli. From those two small shops, the aroma of pure milk and saffron began to travel.

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Today, Old Mumbai Ice Cream Company has over 25 stores across India, but its soul remains unchanged.

If there is one flavour that defines its legacy, it is the Malai Kulfi, dense, creamy, and unapologetically rich, Netrapal said. Alongside it, crowd favourites like the indulgent Kaju Shake and Badam Shake, the celebratory Mixed Ice Cream, and the exquisite Kesar Kurma, a unique symphony of dry fruits and saffron procured from Kashmir  continue to draw regulars.
The USP, Netrapal insists, is not marketing, but integrity.

“The only true legacy my father passed on was to maintain the food quality and values,” he says.
At Old Mumbai Ice Cream, indulgence is unhurried and honest. The ice creams are dense and velvety, made from pure, slow-boiled milk that carries a deep, creamy richness, not artificial fluff. The star, Malai Kulfi, is luxuriously thick and melts into a sweet nostalgia, while Kesar Kurma is a royal mix of Kashmiri saffron and crunchy dry fruits.

The Badam Shake is the true crowd-stealer  chilled, thick, and generously studded with finely ground almonds. Not overly sweet, it tastes like liquid badam, creamy, nutty, and utterly refreshing, a perfect shake that is both a drink and a dessert.

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Sonu Sonar, manager of the Kondhwa Franchise said, “I am working since 2019, it feels good when people stop by and compliment the flavours and service, it’s more than a job – it is the happiness that I enjoy when I see kids and families taking joy eating ice cream.”