Shri. S. Vijay Kumar is a Singapore-based finance and shipping expert who is general manager of a leading ocean transportation company. In 2007–08 he started a blog on Indian art and thereafter in 2010 got involved with both Indian and United States law enforcement agencies that were investigating cases of idol theft and smuggling. His book The Idol Thief is based on his association with these agencies. Vijay has played a role in the arrests of several idol thieves and smugglers. He has also successfully matched several stolen idols with pieces that have been acquired by museums, thereby ensuring their repatriation to India. In this episode, we speak about the returning of artefacts to India by President Joe Biden, and the journey of how they were brought to India. We also explored the changing global mindset and many topics on artefact theft.
