Gopinath Pillai

Gopinath Pillai (born 1937) is a Singaporean diplomat and businessman who served as an ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2012, Pillai was conferred the Padma Shri by the Indian government, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.

Early life Pillai was born in Singapore to K. S. Pillai, a journalist who ran a daily, Kerala Bandhu, known to be the only Malayalam language daily published outside India. but had to abandon the job to fulfil his commitment to the government to work as a teacher, a prerequisite for availing government funding for education in Singapore.

He has authored two books, The History of Banking in Thailand

Pillai served the first chairman of NTUC FairPrice after its establishment in 1983, a position he held until 1993.

Pillai launched KSP Group along with two of his friends, Sat Pal Khattar and Haider Sithawalla, and holds the post of a Director of the company. and holds the chairmanship of companies such as Windmill International Private Limited and Gateway Distriparks Limited and one of its subsidiaries, Snowman Logistics Limited. and holds directorship of two of its subsidiaries, AEC College and AEC Education Plc. a National University of Singapore-funded research institute. He also holds the post of the deputy chairman of Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital

Public career Pillai's diplomatic career started with his assignment with the Government Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs in the 1980s. He later served as Singapore's High Commissioner to Pakistan.

Awards and recognitions Pillai, a recipient of the Meritorious Award and Friend of Labour Award from National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)

Personal life Pillai is married and the couple have four children.