The beleaguered liquor baron Vijay Mallya has over the past few years been selling off most of his assets, among them is his priced Airbus A319 jet. Mallya’s Airbus A319-133CJ VT- VJM has got a new bidder in Aircraft Auction held by MSTC Ltd on August 18, 2016 on behalf of Service Tax Commissionerate with a Bid of $ 4.1 million.
Mr G S Srivastava, Chairman of MSTC Ltd is a well-known art connoisseur intends to utilise the Aircraft to promote exotic Art Work ingrained in various Temples & religious places across the country. Srivastava, an IIT Delhi alumni is also known for his landmark deal with renowned painter M F Hussain for ‘Our Planet Called Earth Series (OPCE)’ painting series.
The venture will not only highlight India’s rich heritage and art culture but also bring India into focus as a country with incredible Art and Religious heritage. The aircraft’s inaugural flight will be Shirdi, Maharashtra. It will take religious tours cutting across all religions which will include Buddhist, Muslim, Christian & Sikh shrines. They also stressed that the aircraft will not be used as their private carrier.