Hot Seat

Aye, aye captain!

The Leela Group is emerging as a fast growing hotel group in the country with strategic tactics encrypting a successful expansion. Driving the growth is Captain C P Krishnan Nair, chairman of The Leela Group. Express Hospitality looks at this octogenarian's success

'Learn to do something right and then do it right every time'. This profound philosophy comes from a person who has achieved success far superior than his peers. Today, Captain Nair, chairman of Hotel Leelaventure Limited cherishes his decision to walk the road less travelled.

He reminisces, "In 1950, I was at a crossroad; on one hand was a promising career in the army. It was a profession I always wanted to grow in, and on the other was my wife's insistence to do something for the upliftment of the handloom industry in which she was actively involved. So mustering courage I spoke to my senior. What he advised changed the course of my life. All he said was that in the army you can only reach to the highest rank but then what? Contrarily, on the road your wife has envisaged the sky is the limit. So I made a promise to my wife that I will walk the unpredictable path she has foreseen and make it a success. And so it has been."

Though the initial years of his foray into the world of business were riddled with hardships, he was able to withstand them. "As a company we were able to contribute substantially to make handlooms grow into a Rs 3 billion industry in the early 1960s. In fact, the major impetus to the handloom industry came when the government, then led by Jawaharlal Nehru, heeded to a simple suggestion I made on the behest of the All India Handloom Board of levying a one paisa cess to develop handlooms. In one year, the government had accumulated over Rs 300 crore which was used to fuel the growth of the industry," he says.

In the early 1960s, just as the handloom business was surging ahead, Nair decided that he had had enough of success and money. His quest turned towards peace, tranquility and God. This led him to Swami Sivananda in the Himalayas but the swami advised Nair not to take up sanyas as that was not the chosen path for him. "He told me my calling was to serve the masses by shaping the fortunes and livelihood of innumerable people," states Nair.

His return to business proved even more successful. After consolidating in India, Nair established his textile export business in the 1970s and started to supply to America and Europe. His company pioneered a unique form of textile manufacturing - bleeding. The export business flourished and he suddenly veered tracks to enter an entirely new segment - hospitality.

"Travelling has been my passion. I have been fortunate to stay in the best hotels in the world. I wondered whether it was possible to offer such hospitality with an Indian essence. After much research in the industry and belief in the growth of the Indian hospitality industry, I made a decision to venture into this arena. From our first property in North Mumbai, where at that time no major player wanted to venture, we have carved a niche in India's hospitality sector." The Leela Group currently has three hotels in Mumbai, Bangalore and Goa, and a few in the pipeline in Chennai, Udaipur, Hyderabad and Delhi as well as internationally in Malaysia and Doha.

In retrospect

Captain Krishnan Nair Chairman Hotel Leelaventure Limited

Today, at the age of 84, when he looks back, his achievements are many. Over 55 years of business building has culminated in a garment and textile business worth Rs 400 crore and a hospitality business whose expansion is as promising as the exponential rise in its stocks. And as the days go by, milestones and laurels get added, the latest being the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences at the ITB 2005 in Berlin - an award few from the hotel industry have been honoured with. He was even felicitated by the House of Commons, UK.

There's however still much to be done, if not on the business front then in the field of nation building. "It is my earnest desire to see India evolve as a superpower. And we have the resources and talent to do so. Just that the private sector and the government need to get together to achieve such a success. I see the dream realising soon," he says.

Today, the hotel group is growing fast. The Leela Kempinski, Mumbai is to invest US $ 20 million in renovations over the next two years. These renovations, taking place in 150 suites of the 423 suites, will be done in phases to minimise inconvenience to guests. The renovation programme will bring a rich contemporary look to The Leela.

"As part of out future plans for the brand, we plan to strengthen our presence in select cities in the north and south of India. Besides, we want every property we own or manage in the future to reflect the essence of India. At the moment, besides the 120-room extension to the Leela Palace Bangalore, we will invest close to Rs 900 crore in our new properties in Udaipur, Chennai and Hyderabad. As for Delhi, our initial project ran into trouble and we are still awaiting our court settlement to the tune of Rs 200 crore, Nair says" The company has identified certain properties in Delhi but it has not finalised on any just yet. Even so, setting up a property in the capital city is definitely on the anvil in the near future.