Dr. Vijay Mallya

Dr. Vijay Mallya is Chairman of The UB Group, one of India's largest conglomerates with diverse interests in brewing, distilling, real estate, engineering, fertilizers, biotechnology, information technology and aviation.

Dr. Mallya, 52, was elected by shareholders as Chairman of The UB Group in 1983, at the age of 28.

United Breweries Ltd (UBL), the flagship company of The UB Group, is the largest brewing company in India with a national market share of 50 per cent. Kingfisher beer is currently available in 52 countries outside India and leads the way amongst Indian beers in the international market.

United Spirits Limited, the flagship of The UB Group comprises a basket of 145 brands including 15 millionaire brands. United Spirits recently acquired a hundred percent of premium scotch distillers Whyte & Mackay.

The UB Group's Kingfisher Airlines is today the undisputed market leader in India's booming aviation market. In the short span of just under three years since it was launched, Kingfisher Airlines has 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. 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.

Dr. Vijay Mallya is the Chairman of public companies both in India as well as in the USA. He has been the Chairman of Aventis Pharma India (previously Hoechst) as well as the Chairman of Bayer Crop Science in India for over 20 years, in addition to being the Chairman of several other corporations.

Dr. Vijay Mallya has 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.

Dr. Mallya is the first Indian ever to become the owner of a Formula One Team. The Netherlands-based Mol Family and Dr. Mallya have formed a consortium that is now the joint owner of Force India Formula One, which is also India's first-ever Formula One Team and represents India's first, truly global sports foray.

The Silverstone, U.K.-based team is one of the very few to have constructor status and has evolved from the iconic Jordan Grand Prix Team to the more recent Spyker Team and boasts a tally of 4 race wins and 19 podium places since its inception in 1991. Under the leadership of Dr. Mallya, the team is now a finely tuned, state-of-the-art Formula One entity ready to challenge some of the automotive industry's greatest brands for track victory.