37 Facts About Vijay Mallya

Vijay Vittal Mallya was born on 18 December 1955 and is an Indian businessman, former politician and fugitive.

Vijay Mallya 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 in the alcoholic beverages business, Mallya 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.

Vijay Mallya has been the chairman of Sanofi India and the chairman of Bayer CropScience in India for over 20 years, and the chairman of several other companies.

Vijay Mallya was 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.

Vijay Mallya is a former owner of the Royal Challengers Bangalore cricket team.

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

Vijay Mallya was educated at La Martiniere 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 in 1976.

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

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

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

Vijay Mallya 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.

Vijay Mallya has been the chairman of Sanofi India and the chairman of Bayer CropScience in India for over 20 years, and the chairman of several other companies.

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

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

In February 2015 Vijay 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.

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

In July 2020, Indian media reported that Vijay Mallya had offered a settlement package of 139.60 billion as against a total principal amount of 90 billion to the consortium of Indian bankers pursuing litigation against him; this settlement was not accepted by the bankers.

Previously a member of the Akhila Bharata Janata Dal, Vijay Mallya joined the Subramanian Swamy-led Janata Party in 2003 and was its National Working President until 2010.

Vijay Mallya was elected to the Rajya Sabha as independent member twice from his home state of Karnataka, first in 2002 with the support of the Janata Dal and Indian National Congress and then in 2010 with the support of the Janata Dal and BJP.

On 2 May 2016, Vijay Mallya resigned from his post as a Rajya Sabha MP, a week after the Rajya Sabha ethics panel declared that he should no longer be a member of the House and one day before the panel was set to meet again to recommend his expulsion.

Vijay Mallya had left India during this time, and his passport had been revoked.

Vijay Mallya left India on 2 March 2016 after saying he wanted to move to Britain to be closer to his children.

The 17 banks added a joint petition at the Supreme Court of India in March 2016 to try to prevent Vijay Mallya from leaving the country, but the Indian government indicated that he had already left.

On 13 June 2016, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act court declared Vijay Mallya a "proclaimed offender" on a request by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with its money laundering probe against him in an alleged 90 billion loan default case.

Vijay Mallya co-owned the Formula One team Force India from 2007 to 2018.

On 18 April 2017, Vijay Mallya was arrested by the UK Metropolitan Police extradition unit "on behalf of the Indian authorities in relation to accusations of fraud", and was released on bail pending further consideration of the case.

Vijay Mallya said "There's nothing to miss" for him about India, since his immediate family has all moved to England or the United States.

On 3 October 2017, Vijay Mallya was arrested as part of a money-laundering case in London and was released on bail.

Vijay Mallya is on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April 2017.

Vijay Mallya was asked to pay money towards registration of worldwide freezing order and of Karnataka's Debt Recovery Tribunal.

The trial did not go ahead since Vijay Mallya drew up a settlement with UBS.

In July 2019, Vijay Mallya was granted permission to appeal to London's High Court against his extradition.

Vijay Mallya had filed an appeal in the UK Supreme Court earlier in month of May 2020 in the wake of losing an appeal in the London High Court against an extradition order to India on alleged charges of fraud and money laundering related to unrecovered loans to Kingfisher Airlines.

Vijay Mallya was convicted of contempt in 2017 over transferring $40 million to his children in violation of court orders.

Vijay Mallya was named in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, leaked confidential documents relating to offshore investment.

Vijay Mallya has received several professional awards both in India and overseas:.