London/New Delhi: Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya has said he is open to returning to India if given an assurance of a fair trial and dignified existence, breaking his silence in a rare, four-hour podcast interview with content creator Raj Shamani.

“If I have a fair assurance of a fair trial and dignified existence in India, I will think about it seriously,” Mallya said during the conversation, where he addressed the allegations of loan default, the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines, and the circumstances surrounding his departure from India.

The embattled former liquor baron said he was willing to be called a “fugitive” for not returning to India after March 2016 but pushed back at being labelled a “chor” (thief).

“Call me a fugitive for not going to India post-March. I didn't run away — I flew out of India on a prescheduled visit. I did not return for reasons I consider valid… but where is the 'chor' coming from? Where is the 'chori'?” Mallya asked.

He also recounted his failed attempts to rescue Kingfisher Airlines, which shut down amid financial losses and debt.

Mallya said the airline suffered due to the 2008 global financial crisis, which triggered a liquidity crunch and currency depreciation in India.

“I went to Shri Pranab Mukherjee, who was then Finance Minister, and told him that I needed to downsize—cut down aircraft, lay off staff—but I was told not to downsize. ‘Banks will support you,’ I was told. That is how it all started,” he said. Despite these assurances, Mallya added, the airline was forced to ground operations due to rising financial distress.

Mallya, who left India in March 2016, has since lived in London and fought a lengthy legal battle against extradition to India, where he faces charges of loan default and financial misconduct involving several public sector banks.