KANNUR: The grand old man of Indian hospitality industry and the founder of the Leela Group of luxury hotels, Captain Leela Krishnan Nair, passed away at a Mumbai hospital on Saturday. He was 92.
Captain Krishnan Nair, a recipient of Padma Bhushan, breathed his last around 3 am on Saturday after a brief illness.
Hailing from Azheekode in Kannur, Krishnan Nair rose to riches by popularising the handloom brand ‘Bleeding Madras’ in the US and in the European countries in the 1960s. Born on February 9, 1922, Krishnan Nair joined the freedom movement by becoming a part of the Indian National Army led by Subhash Chandra Bose and then joined ranks with the Indian Army, post independence. He quit the force in 1951 to set up handloom business which was named after his wife Leela.
Krishnan Nair shifted to Mumbai for promoting his business and helped to set up the All-India Handloom Board. He toured the world enjoying hospitality in various countries, promoting hand-spun clothes, a treasure of experience that prompted him to venture into hospitality business at the age of 65.
Captain Krishnan Nair is survived by wife Leela and two sons. The cremation will take place in Mumbai on Sunday.