Rajan Pillai Biography 
Rajan Pillai was a business tycoon in the field of Indian biscuits. Popularly called 'Biscuit Baron', this successful businessman died in police custody in Tihar jail due to lack of medical care, 4 days after arrest. He was once at the hub of London society and one of Asia's most flamboyant businessmen. He died at the age of 47 due to liver disease. Pillai ran Britannia Biscuits in 6 countries, a large maker of cookies when he was at the peak of his career. He also owned cashew plantations in Australia. He was accused of fraud amounting to millions of dollars. 16 years after his death, his wife Nina Pillai was given compensation for neglecting proper medical care for her husband.
Rajan pillai was born in Kollam, Kerala in 1947 to a trader of cashews. Kollam is one of the leading trading centres of cashews in Kerala. Rajan completed Engineering from TKM College, Kollam. He started his career by investing in a 5-star hotel in Goa and with the 1970s he moved to Singapore with new business plans. Started with packaging business, very soon he collaborated with head of Standard Brands, Ross Johnson. In 1984 he was appointed as the head of Nabisco Commodities and later he got opportunity to head Britannia group of Industries in 5 nations. It happened after Ross Johnson took over Asian subsidiaries of Huntley & Palmer which controlled Britannia Industries. Very soon Rajan became an iconic figure in business with a good friend circle and he came to be known as 'Biscuit King'.
By late 1980s, in association with Boussois-Souchon-Neuvesel he got opportunity to control six Asian companies worth over 400million dollars. But later he faced downfall in his business empire and with 1993, he started selling his companies. Johnson demanded the return of $30m which he had advanced Pillai to buy Britannia. He also had face off with Wadia and Danone groups. Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department charged Pillai on 22 counts of breach of trust and fraud and Pillai fled to Kerala, where he took a bail. He was arrested by Indian Police in Delhi in 1995 and sent to Tihar jail. He requested for a medical treatment and the following day, he died in police custody.
Published: N/A
Updated: September 29, 2014
