It's hard to argue that 2012 has been anything
but a bad year for Vijay Mallya. The self-styled King of Good Times has seen his airline lose its operating licence, and has sold
a controlling interest in his flagship liquor company to Diageo.
So, being ranked at No. 2 on a list of most admired business personalities (In a Brand Equity survey of youth in metro cities) is, "very surprising", he admits "given the way I have been slammed by the media right through 2012". In an interview with ET NOW, the chairman of Kingfisher defended himself with what has come to be a trademark belligerence, pointing out that as brand ambassador to a set of flamboyant brands, his lifestyle was as much a marketing gimmick as a personal choice.
In the interview, Mallya said he was spending his own money and attributed the negative publicity to media.
"There is nothing wrong in loving life and living life. I spend my own money not other people's money. I live a life what I consider to be normal. In India, there is this huge jealousy factor unfortunately and that interferes in people's judgements. So, if I were to do something that I consider perfectly normal, some hypocrite out there is probably going to say that I am too flashy and too flamboyant."
The travails of Kingfisher Air, in any case, are not solely his fault: "It is rather unfortunate that I am being held singularly responsible for Kingfisher Airlines' difficulties, for its financial problems. It defies the very logic of a limited company," Mallya said in the interview. Any business group, he pointed out, has successes as well as failures.
"I wish they looked at the total picture rather than just the Kingfisher AirlinesBSE -1.15 % picture," he said, pointing out that in the last three decades, he has taken United Breweries from an 18% market share to more than 50% of the market, while creating stakeholder wealth - and incidentally, the world's largest spirits company - in the process."
Instead of getting credit, "I was sort of hung and pronounced guilty before I even had a chance to clarify or to justify the position that Kingfisher Airlines find itself in. I was branded as person solely responsible for Kingfisher Airlines' debts for its unpaid employees sadly and for everything that went wrong."
In a letter to employees released on Thursday, banks received a pat on the back from the UB Group chairman for being "patient" though he admitted that they had inquired after the money owned by Kingfisher.
"They (banks) have requested our urgent attention to certain overdues which we are addressing with them. The banks have been very co-operative and patient. There has been no discussion at all on recall of loans, enforcement of securities, etc as reported in the media. On the contrary, the banks have expressed their keen desire to see Kingfisher fly again," Mallya said.
Mallya claimed that he is negotiating with prospective investors and reiterated details of a plan submitted to DGCA for a limited relaunch of the grounded airline.
The Kingfisher scrip rose 10%, closing at 14.79. Employees who have not been paid since May last year have threatened to file a winding-up petition.
Mallya also lashed out at media claiming that "management time" of the top brass of the grounded airline was being wasted in clarifying media reports.
"As you know, the media has continued their negative reporting on Kingfisher. I would urge each one of you to be particularly careful in any interaction you may have with them," Mallya cautioned his employees, who have threatened to file a winding-up petition.
So, being ranked at No. 2 on a list of most admired business personalities (In a Brand Equity survey of youth in metro cities) is, "very surprising", he admits "given the way I have been slammed by the media right through 2012". In an interview with ET NOW, the chairman of Kingfisher defended himself with what has come to be a trademark belligerence, pointing out that as brand ambassador to a set of flamboyant brands, his lifestyle was as much a marketing gimmick as a personal choice.
In the interview, Mallya said he was spending his own money and attributed the negative publicity to media.
"There is nothing wrong in loving life and living life. I spend my own money not other people's money. I live a life what I consider to be normal. In India, there is this huge jealousy factor unfortunately and that interferes in people's judgements. So, if I were to do something that I consider perfectly normal, some hypocrite out there is probably going to say that I am too flashy and too flamboyant."
The travails of Kingfisher Air, in any case, are not solely his fault: "It is rather unfortunate that I am being held singularly responsible for Kingfisher Airlines' difficulties, for its financial problems. It defies the very logic of a limited company," Mallya said in the interview. Any business group, he pointed out, has successes as well as failures.
"I wish they looked at the total picture rather than just the Kingfisher AirlinesBSE -1.15 % picture," he said, pointing out that in the last three decades, he has taken United Breweries from an 18% market share to more than 50% of the market, while creating stakeholder wealth - and incidentally, the world's largest spirits company - in the process."
Instead of getting credit, "I was sort of hung and pronounced guilty before I even had a chance to clarify or to justify the position that Kingfisher Airlines find itself in. I was branded as person solely responsible for Kingfisher Airlines' debts for its unpaid employees sadly and for everything that went wrong."
In a letter to employees released on Thursday, banks received a pat on the back from the UB Group chairman for being "patient" though he admitted that they had inquired after the money owned by Kingfisher.
"They (banks) have requested our urgent attention to certain overdues which we are addressing with them. The banks have been very co-operative and patient. There has been no discussion at all on recall of loans, enforcement of securities, etc as reported in the media. On the contrary, the banks have expressed their keen desire to see Kingfisher fly again," Mallya said.
Mallya claimed that he is negotiating with prospective investors and reiterated details of a plan submitted to DGCA for a limited relaunch of the grounded airline.
The Kingfisher scrip rose 10%, closing at 14.79. Employees who have not been paid since May last year have threatened to file a winding-up petition.
Mallya also lashed out at media claiming that "management time" of the top brass of the grounded airline was being wasted in clarifying media reports.
"As you know, the media has continued their negative reporting on Kingfisher. I would urge each one of you to be particularly careful in any interaction you may have with them," Mallya cautioned his employees, who have threatened to file a winding-up petition.
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