Mallya showed he had the political shrewdness to match his business acumen when he scored a big victory in the Rajya Sabha polls last week.
Stylish, flamboyant and a head turner, Vijay Mallya relishes being in the limelight. And the cynosure of all eyes in social circles, showed he had the political shrewdness to match his business acumen when he scored a big victory in the Rajya Sabha polls last week. Making rivals HD Kumaraswamy and BS Yeddyurappa to shake hands, Mallya showed yet again that he plays only to win, whatever it takes.
For it is not the first time that Mallya has shown his skills in political power play. He is entering the Rajya Sabha for the second time. Making his debut in Parliament in 2000 from the Janata Party, Mallya had superseded an equally irrepressible Subramanyam Swamy to the party president’s post. Swamy, within hours of Mallya’s latest victory, returned the complement by expelling him.
Born on December 18, 1955, in a Konkani Brahmin family from Bantwal, Mallya grew up in Kolkata and graduated from St Xavier’s College. He went on to inherit the reins of United Breweries Group from his illustrious father Vittal Mallya in 1983.
Living a lavish life on the fast lane, the king of good times took the UB group to dizzying heights as a home-grown multinational conglomerate. His Kingfisher brand turned iconic for beer lovers not just in India, but across the globe. He was conferred an honorary doctorate in Business Administration by California Southern University.
But Mallya was clear in his demarcation between his role in public life and as that of a business honcho. “I do not mix business with politics,” Mallya declared immediately after his election, refusing to bat for Bangaloreans’ demand for an extended deadline for the city’s watering holes up to 2am.
An avid sports lover, Mallya has a passion for fast cars, horses, jets and yachts. He drove his first Ferrari at four, a child’s model of course. His passion for cars started early, resulting in him turning into the owner of the Formula-1 team ‘Force India’.
However, contrary to his image, Mallya is a religious person and a staunch devotee of Lord Venkateshwara. He ensures that every aircraft he purchases first goes to Tirupati and circumambulates the shrine of Lord Venkateshwara before being pressed into service. Mallya was in Tirupati on Sunday as a thanksgiving for his Rajya Sabha victory. He also goes on the Sabarimala pilgrimage every year, and on the last stretch, walks barefoot like all other devotees.
Mallya is never shy of flaunting the things he loves, including jewellery. A diamond studded ‘VJM’ bracelet on his right hand and diamond ear studs cannot go unnoticed.
With keen interest in horse riding, he owns a stud farm near Bangalore. He is a polyglot and speaks Bengali, Hindi, Konkani, Kannada, Gujarati, French and of course English.
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