Vittal Mallya

Vittal Mallya (b. 1925 - d. 1983) was an Indian entrepreneur best known as the former Chairman of the India-based United Breweries Group.

Youngest of the three children of an army doctor Lt Col Bantwal Ganapathi Mallya, Vittal Mallya capped an academic career with two of India's most prestigious educational institutions (Doon School and Presidency College) and traveled abroad for over two years to gain first-hand, practical knowledge that he believed to be more valuable than formal education. In 1947, at the age of 22, Mallya was elected as United Breweries' first Indian director. After a year, he replaced R. G. N. Price as the chairman of the company.

Mallya initially operated from Calcutta and married much later after he had become the chairman of United Breweries Limited. He migrated to Bangalore with his wife, Lalitha Ramaiah and son, Vijay in 1958.

Despite ill health that followed a massive heart attack at a relatively young age of 39, Mallya slowly and steadily built the UB Empire and diversified into a host of allied businesses. His business acumen was evident when he defied all odds to acquire a host of breweries during the heady days of prohibition of the Janata Party regime of Morarji Desai.

In the early '80s, Mallya started handing over the mantle of control - primarily beer and spirits - of the large UB Empire to his son Vijay, whom he had sent to the United States and England to train with some of the best global corporations. At the same time, he encouraged his son to expand the business beyond the shores of India and subsequently opened offices in New York and London. Today, United Breweries Group is the largest brewer in India.

External links

* [http://www.kingfisherworld.com/corporate/corporate-history.htm United Breweries history]
* [http://www.theubgroup.com/genesis.html The UB Group: Genesis]