Back in 1998, Vijay Mallya owned United Breweries (UB) Group penned a historic sponsorship deal with Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
The two historic clubs ushered in a new era shrugging off their sentiments by entering into a Joint Venture (JV) with a corporate. The two traditional giants were averse to a company promoting alcohol-based products using the club's name. Also, there was the issue of ceding some control on the club's board to a corporate entity.
Before the UB deal, Tata Tea and Khadim's used to sponsor Mohun Bagan and East Bengal respectively but these companies never entered into a partnership with the club.