Ravi Pillai, was the first Indian to purchase a Rs 100-crore helicopter. He owns homes worldwide, including a luxurious apartment in Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa.
Ravi Pillai is the Chairman of the RP Group, a conglomerate primarily focused on construction but also involved in real estate and various other industries. He was born in 1953 in Kerala in a farming family, Pillai was pursuing university education, but at the same time he also started chit fund business in Kollam, funded through borrowed money.
He later worked with prominent industrial firms in Kerala, such as Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited, Hindustan Newsprint Limited, and Cochin Refineries. However, after labor strikes he shut down his business and moved to Saudi Arabia in 1978.
In Saudi Arabia, Pillai started a small business and expanded into the construction industry. In 1980, he established the Nasser S. Al Hajri Corporation (NSH) with just 150 employees. Over time, NSH evolved into the RP Group, which has since become one of the largest employers of Indians in the Middle East.
Pillai’s construction gave him huge wealth, which he invested back into India. Today, his RP Group has diversified interests in banking, hotels, and real estate across the country.
Ravi Pillai made headlines for his lavish lifestyle. His properties include multiple homes around the globe like an apartment in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. However, his purchase of a Rs 100-crore helicopter from Airbus was part of debates for several months. As he was the first Indian to acquire such a luxury. His total assets are worth $3.2 billion
