Bahrain businessman receives highest honour

Manama : V K Rajasekharan Pillai, a leading Indian businessman and philanthropist in the Kingdom has been awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA), the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians. 

President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the award at the  14th edition of the ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Divas’ Convention held yesterday in the Indian city of Bengaluru. 

Pillai who received  the award in the category of Business, is one among the 30 winners of PBSA this year. 

Known in Bahrain more as a philanthropist, Pillai  has been the silent force behind many welfare initiatives involving the weaker sections of Bahrain. This includes meeting the repatriation expenses of stranded workers, assisting in marriage expenses and building houses for those below the poverty line. He has also provided free air tickets to poor amnesty workers returning to India. 

Several students are beneficiaries of Rajasree Charitable Trust, his charity initiative, targeted at children from economically backward communities. Pillai has been one of the leading contributors in building the  Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam Diamond Jubilee Hall, the largest Indian Community Hall in the Arabian Gulf. 

He is always at the forefront in ensuring welfare of Indians working abroad when requested by the Embassies of India and by other social and  cultural organisations. 

Pillai, one of the main sponsors of the Bahrain based Kerala Social & Cultural Association has also patronised many social and cultural initiatives carried out by the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam, Samskriti Bahrain, Chinmaya Society, KCA Bahrain, Syro Malabar Society and the Sree Narayana Cultural Society.

Hailing from a well-known family from Mannar in South Kerala, V. K. Rajasekharan Pillai says he was driven by a desire for success and recognition right from his early school days. 

Pillai journeyed to Mumbai in 1979 to start his career as a Media Executive in an advertising agency. Later when he felt it was time for further learning and consolidation, he decided to accept an opportunity to work in Saudi Arabia. 

Three decades later, he witnessed success far greater than he had anticipated. This encouraged him to venture into untapped markets beyond the India and Saudi Arabia. He slowly established his flagship Company, National Fire Fighting Company W.L.L. in Bahrain.

Today he heads and owns fourteen companies spread across India, UK, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Singapore and is one of the leading Indian businessmen in Asia. His tenacity and business acumen have been acknowledged by the entire business community, including his partners, competitors, clients, employees and accomplices from across the world. 

Eventhough Pillai is at the summit of success, he never misses an opportunity to serve humanity, irrespective of race, religion or region.