My intentions were always to repay the loans: Vijay Mallya

In a rare and revealing interview after nearly a decade of silence, liquor baron and former Kingfisher Airlines chief Vijay Mallya has broken his media blackout, speaking out on Raj Shamani’s popular podcast Figuring Out.

The four-hour-long episode, released this week, sees Mallya defend his legacy, criticize the media, and express willingness to return to India—if assured of a fair trial.

“I have been abused, called names, and used as a lightning rod for public anger,” Mallya said.

“The media trial against me has been relentless. But now, I have a platform to tell my side of the story without spin.”

He claimed that his intentions were always to repay the loans taken for Kingfisher Airlines, and pointed to a recent statement by the Finance Ministry claiming Rs 14,100 crore had been recovered from him—more than double the Rs 6,203 crore Debt Recovery Tribunal judgment.

“If I had really defrauded the banks, how did the government recover so much money?” he asked.