[5][3] During his time at university, he launched his first business, a chit fund in Kollam on reportedly borrowed money.

[7] Two years later, he moved into construction, and established Nasser S. Al Hajri Corporation (NSH) with 150 employees,[7] which has over the years grown to become the flagship company of his business group,[3][7] RP Group, which is known to employ over 70,000 employees across its businesses.

[8] Pillai has expanded his business to other countries including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain, and has interests in construction, hospitality, steel, cement, and oil and gas industries.

[3][12] Pillai received an honorary doctorate from Excelsior College, New York,[5] and was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the Government of India in 2008.

[15] He paid for his daughter Arathi's wedding with Adithya Vishnu at Kollam in November 2015, at a total expense of ₹55 crores ($7.5 million), in accordance with Nair customs and cultural traditions.