Vittal Mallya was an Indian entrepreneur, best known as the former chair of the India-based United Breweries Group.
13 Facts About Vittal Mallya
2.
Vittal Mallya was the youngest of the three children of Lt.
3.
The young Vittal Mallya gained exposure to the many cultures of India as he grew up in many cantonment towns across India.
4.
When he was around 12 years of age, his father's wealth and position as an army officer made it possible for young Vittal Mallya to be enrolled into The Doon School.
5.
Vittal Mallya was a very bright student at school, and received several double promotions during his academic career for outstanding performance.
6.
Vittal Mallya chose this college because his father was posted at that time in Kolkata.
7.
In 1947, Vittal Mallya was elected as United Breweries' first Indian director.
8.
When Herbertsons was pocketed two decades later, Vittal Mallya bagged its Dipy's division, giving him a virtual stranglehold on a series of processed food products.
9.
In 1977, when an official prohibition drive sent the breweries and distilleries into a tailspin, Vittal Mallya showed his foresight by buying up or gaining control through management contracts of yet more breweries and distilleries in Udaipur, Alwar, Mirganj, Serampore and set up a plant in Pondicherry, as others sold out in the face of a market slump.
10.
Vittal Mallya became chairman of British Paints with the help of Hoechst AG, which had earlier acquired British Paints' parent company abroad, the Berger group.
11.
In 1981, Vittal Mallya controlled 10 breweries and 14 distilleries, seven processed food companies, six investment companies, two small packaging units, three drug firms, soft drinks bottling plants, a battery unit and one of the company's two styrene companies, while heading a handful of other companies even though he did not have controlling interest.
12.
Vittal Mallya's third marriage was to Kailash Advani, a Mumbai-based Sindhi woman who was a lawyer by education, but who ran a garment business.
13.
Vittal Mallya was a man of frugal habits who believed in thrift and understatement, values which he tried to inculcate in the young Vijay.