Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant businessman who just refused to grow up

Overly obsessed with a bleeding airline, he risked his best businesses in order to keep funding it long after it had ceased to make sense. And now, he's about to wake up to reality, writes T N Ninan

T N Ninan 

T N Ninan

Vijay Mallya has had a penchant for making the news, and until recently he had done it in style. Early in his career, more than three decades ago, he began with typical flourish, launching a takeover bid for Shaw Wallace, the liquor company.

The bid was in partnership with the then Dubai-based (and now late) Manu Chhabria, and Mr Mallya was picked up at Bangalore (as it was then) airport by the Enforcement Directorate on a charge of foreign exchange violation. Later there was a succession of deals — buying and selling companies, first to diversify and then to re-focus on his core ...

Note: Subscription will be auto renewed, you may cancel any time in the future without any questions asked.

Total Amount
Rs. 149.00
Requires personal information

What you get?

ON BUSINESS STANDARD DIGITAL

  • Unlimited access to all the content on any device through browser or app.
  • Exclusive content, features, opinions and comment – hand-picked by our editors, just for you.
  • Pick 5 of your favourite companies. Get a daily email with all the news updates on them.
  • Track the industry of your choice with a daily newsletter specific to that industry.
  • Stay on top of your investments. Track stock prices in your portfolio.
  • 18 years of archival data.
  • Requires you to share personal information like date of birth, income, location amongst other fields. This information alongwith your contact information will be shared with the partners associated with this program, who contribute towards subsidizing the offer. By subscribing to this product you acknowledge and accept that our Partners may choose to contact you with offers of their products and services.
  • This is an optional offer - Not comfortable with sharing personal data - please opt for the full price offer which requires you to share minimal information
Read our full coverage on Vijay Mallya
First Published: Fri, September 14 2018. 19:28 IST