Vijay Mallya

Vijay Vittal Mallya (born 18 December 1955) is an Indian fugitive former businessman and politician.

He is the subject of an extradition effort by the Indian Government to return him from the UK to face charges of financial crimes in India.

The son of a businessman who was also in the alcoholic beverages business, Mallya is the former chairman of United Spirits, the largest spirits company in India, and continues to serve as chairman of United Breweries Group, an Indian conglomerate with interests including beverage alcohol, aviation infrastructure, real estate, and fertilizer.

He was the chairman of Sanofi India (previously known as Hoechst AG and Aventis) and the chairman of Bayer CropScience in India for over 20 years, and the chairman of several other companies.

Mallya was also the founder and former owner of defunct Kingfisher Airlines and former co-owner of the Force India Formula One team before it went into administration.

He is also a former owner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore cricket team.

Vijay Mallya is the son of Vittal Mallya from Bantwal, Mangalore, Karnataka.

Born to Vittal Mallya and Lalitha Ramaiah.

Vittal Mallya was the Chairman of United Breweries Group.

Vijay Mallya was educated at La Martinière Calcutta, where he was appointed House Captain of Hastings house in his final year, and at St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree (with honours) in 1976.

While in college, Mallya interned in his family's businesses.

After graduating, he interned at the American part of Hoechst AG in the United States.

The son of businessman Vittal Mallya, he became the chairman of United Breweries Group in 1983 at the age of 28, following his father's death.

In 1986, he met and married Samira Tyabjee, an air hostess of Air India.

They have one son, Siddharth Mallya, who was born on 7 May 1987.

They were divorced shortly afterwards, although Mallya has stated in interviews that he has a "great relationship" with his first wife.

Over the years, he has diversified and acquired Berger Paints, Best and Crompton in 1988; Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers in 1990; The Asian Age newspaper and the publisher of film magazines, and Cine Blitz, a Bollywood magazine in 2001.

United's Kingfisher beer has a more than 50% market share in India.

It is available in 52 other countries, and leads among Indian beers in the international market.

United Spirits Ltd, the flagship company of the UB Group, achieved the milestone of selling 100 million cases, becoming the second-largest spirits company in the world by volume, under Mallya's chairmanship.

In June 1993, Mallya married his current wife Rekha, whom he had known since childhood, and together they have two daughters, Leanna and Tanya.

Rekha was previously married twice, and also has a daughter and son, Leila and Kabir, from a previous marriage.

Mallya adopted Rekha's daughter Leila.

He is reported to be preparing to marry for the third time, to former Kingfisher Airlines air-hostess Pinky Lalwani.

Since then, the group has grown into a multi-national conglomerate of over 60 companies, with an annual turnover which increased by 64% over 15 years to US$11 billion in 1998–1999.

Generally characterized as having an extravagant lifestyle, Mallya was reported in 2005 to be someone who prays every day and conducts the entire 42-day Sabarimala fast every year while wearing only black clothing, and to be a devout follower of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Art of Living Foundation.

Vijay Mallya is an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati, and Kukke Subrahmanya.

Kingfisher Airlines, established in 2005, was a major business venture launched by Mallya.

It eventually became insolvent and had to be closed down.

On his 57th birthday in 2012, he offered 3 kg of gold bricks to Venkateswara Temple, Tirumala.

In 2012, he also donated inr 8000000 gold-plated doors for Kukke Subrahmanya.

These were done at a time when the Kingfisher Airlines owned by him had to be shut down due to huge financial losses.

He is the ex-chairman of United Spirits, the largest spirits company in India, and continues to serve as chairman of United Breweries Group, an Indian conglomerate with interests including beverage alcohol, aviation infrastructure, real estate and fertilizer.

He has been the chairman of Sanofi India (previously known as Hoechst AG and Aventis) and the chairman of Bayer CropScience in India for over 20 years, and the chairman of several other companies.

In 2012, Mallya ceded management control of United Spirits Limited to global spirits giant Diageo, retaining a minority stake in the business.

As of October 2013, it had not paid salaries to its employees for 15 months, had lost its licence to operate as an airline, and owed more than US$1 billion in bank loans.

In February 2015 Mallya was forced to resign as chairman of United Spirits, and he contracted to receive a $75 million severance payment as part of that deal, but the courts in India have blocked that payment.

By November 2015, the amount owed to the banks had grown to at least $1.35 billion, and there were other debts owed for taxes and to numerous small creditors.

As part of the Kingfisher collapse, Mallya is accused of being a "willful defaulter" under Indian law, including accusations of money laundering, misappropriation, etc.

In March 2016, a consortium of banks approached the Supreme Court of India to stop Mallya from going abroad due to the pending money his companies owed them.