Business News Desk !!! Chittrat Puvakkat Krishnan Nair (English: Chittarath Poovakkatt Krishna Nair; Birth- 9 February, 1922, Kannur, Kerala; Death- May 17, 2014, Mumbai, Maharashtra) was the founder and chairman of the ‘Hotel Leelavanchar’. Nair, who started his career with the Indian Army, initially established a textile unit. Later in the year 1981, he started a luxury hospitality chain in the name of Hotel and Resort Brand Leela Palace. In February 2013, he resigned as the chairman of Hotel Leelavanchar and handed over the command of the business to his sons Vivek and Dinesh Nair.[1]
Born in Kannur, Kerala in 1922, CP Krishnan Nair founded the ‘Leela Group’ in 1985. He was 63 at this time. Two years later, the first hotel in the name of his wife Leela was started. Krishnan Nair is survived by his wife Leela and two sons. His son Vivek is the chairman and managing director of the 28 -year -old hotel series, while Dinesh is the vice -president. CP Krishnan Nair was of rebellious nature since birth and jumped into the freedom movement at the age of 13. CP Krishnan Nair started his career as a captain in the Indian Army. His first posting took place in Abbottabad (Pakistan) as a wireless officer and his work was to apprehend messages between two main axis forces Germany and Japan. In 1952, he took retirement and became the ADC and Principal Officer of the Army Commander General, but later joined his father -in -law’s textile industry, saying goodbye to the army.[2]
In the year 1957, Nair established the ‘Leela Les Limited’ company in the name of his wife. After this, he laid the foundation of ‘Leela Group of Hotels’ according to world -class standards in the eighties. Nair helped establish the ‘All India Handloom Board’ and make the handloom world class. He was honored by ‘Government of India’ for exporting the most textile from India. Nair, who was awarded ‘Padma Bhushan’, has also received several national and international awards. CP Krishnan, known as Captain Nair, became the honorary chairman of the company. He was also considered as an extraordinary entrepreneur, visionary environmental lover. He was awarded the Global 500 Lawret Role of Honor under the ‘United Nations Environment Program’ for environmental protection efforts. Captain Nair was from Kerala state operated by leftist ideology, whose value does not allow luxury to adopt. Nevertheless, he prepared world -class luxury hotels. He built many luxury hotels in India and today his Leela Palace, established in cities like Udaipur and Bangalore, is counted among the most grand hotels in the world. Even at the age of 90, he used to go to his hotels and check whether all the facilities present in them are according to excellent and world -class standards.
