Dr.Vijay Mallya
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Following above you will read today success story of Dr. Vijay Mallya :
Indian liquor baron Dr. Vijay Mallya is the founder of fledgling Kingfisher Airlines and Chairman of Indian conglomerate UB (United Breweries) Group. He is the son of the famous industrialist Vittal Mallya. In 2005, the Bangalore based billionaire launched Kingfisher Airlines which draws its name from UB Group's flagship beer brand, Kingfisher. Forbes magazine ranks him as the 746th richest person in the world with a whopping USD 1 billion net worth.
Mallya was born on December 20, 1955 in Kolkata and did his graduation from the University of Calcutta. He had a very ordinary upbringing and used to commute to college by trams and buses. After college hours he worked as a low-paid trainee in his father’s company for Rs.400 per month. At the age of 27, he took over as the chairman of UB following the untimely death of his father in 1983. Termed as a ‘playboy’ by the business fraternity, who claimed that he would squander away the inherited fortune, he quickly proved himself as an astute deal maker.
Under his dynamic leadership UB has grown into a multi-national conglomerate of over sixty companies and in the process acquired several companies abroad. Popularly known for its hard liquor and Kingfisher beer, the UB Group has gradually diversified from alcoholic beverages to life sciences, engineering, agriculture, chemicals, information technology and leisure.
At a time when the aviation market was dominated by the state-owned Indian Airlines and privately owned Jet Airways, followed by the smaller Air Sahara, the brash risk-taking businessman discarded the no-frills concept and launched Kingfisher Airlines in 2005 with the catchy slogan ‘the King of Good times’.
In a short span of time Kingfisher redefined the whole experience of flying and has raised the bar by unleashing a host of product and service innovations. It has received over thirty awards since its inception and became the first to operate in India with all new aircrafts. It is the first Indian company to purchase an Airbus A-380. Initially the connectivity was only between Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore but now the airline connects more than 15 cities.
In terms of attracting frequent guests (Mallya bans the use of the term “passengers”) it has already established itself as a key player in the fast-changing Indian market with a domestic market share of 9%. With the merger of Air Deccan and Kingfisher Airlines, the airline covers all segments of air travel from low fares to premium fares and offers the maximum number of flights offered by any single airline network in India.
The 55-year-old shrewd businessman since then has been micromanaging Kingfisher Airlines rigorously with a turnover USD 2 billion in annual revenues. He regularly monitors service standards and is involved in virtually everything from the selection of staff uniforms to interviewing would-be employees to ensure strict quality control. Mallya aim is now to serve the India-USA market on a non-stop basis, which no Indian airline has attempted yet.
The airline has up his ante by introducing Kingfisher Class that features personal televisions at every seat and has proved a big hit in an entertainment-loving country of 1.1 billion people. Albeit alcohol still cannot be served on board, Mallya is lobbying to have the law changed.
Having his plate full, Mallya entered politics in 2000 and superseded Subramaniam Swamy as the president of Janata Party, a breakaway faction of the original Janata Dal party. He is presently the member of the Rajya Sabha and probably the only male MP with diamond ear studs.
Mallya is also noted for his successful bidding in auction of items considered of great historical value to India. In 2004, he successfully placed the winning bid of GBP 175,000 for the sword of Tipu Sultan at an auction in London, and brought it back to India. In 2009, he made India proud by bringing belongings of Mahatma Gandhi for Rs 9.3 crore in a New York auction amid high drama.
He received several professional awards both in India and overseas. He was conferred a Doctorate of Philosophy in Business Administration, by the Southern California University, Irvine. He has also been nominated as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum. An ardent believer that corporations have a responsibility to society and mankind, Mallya has contributed generously to various charities and foundations in several countries in addition to establishing The Mallya Hospital, The Mallya-Aditi School and the Vittal Mallya Scientific Research Foundation in Bangalore, India.
Unlike his contemporaries the Kingfisher giant has other interests apart from business. Mallya plans to combine his sports interests - a Formula One team, a cricket team and a football league - under one company called UB Sports. He is a keen sportsman and is an ardent aviator and yachtsman of distinction and has won trophies in professional car racing circuits. He has also won numerous trophies in horse racing including several prestigious Derbies. Mallya is the first Indian ever to become the owner of Force India Formula One, which is also India's first-ever Formula One Team and represents the country’s first, truly global sports foray. He is also the owner of popular IPL team Royal Challengers which has won two seasons of IPL.
Touted as India’s most flamboyant, high-profile and outspoken businessmen, Mallya believes living life king size and spending his vast fortune on “the good things in life”. A flashy dresser he carefully uses his crafted celebrity image to promote his products as brand ambassador of the UB Group. He also pilots aircraft for fun, collects vintage racing cars, hosts lavish parties and sails his yachts.
Hailed as the Richard Branson of India, Mallya currently has 26 residences around the world. His main home is in Sausalito, California built on an area of 11000 square feet. Apart from this he owns a castle in Scotland, homes in Monaco, Trump Plaza in New York City, the Northern California region of Napa Valley, South Africa and five Indian cities including New Delhi, Bombay and Bangalore. Other expensive assets include a stud farm comprising over 250 race horses and a castle in the United Kingdom. He also has a sprawling mansion on Bangalore's Vittal Mallya Road (named after his father); there is also a Vijay Mallya Road in Bangalore.
Known to many as the poster boy for fun, Mallya in real life is very religious and performs puja regularly on his laptop while travelling. Summoned as “Boss” or “Dr. Mallya” by his associates he is a hard task master when it comes to business and is known for holding meetings in smoke-filled rooms at ungodly hours.
A person who works seven days a week Mallya asserts, “I am not here to impress anybody. God knows what I do because he guides me. I don't need recognition from anybody else. Kingfisher today has established itself as the only serious rival to Jet Airways, the market leader. Look at my products, be it beer, the vodka, the whisky, the rum, whatever it is I always refresh my product. I do not go to sleep saying that I have a winner here. That is where I caught Jet napping. I have learnt how to raise the bar.”
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