Captain Chittarath Poovakkatt Krishnan Nair (9 February 1922 – 17 May 2014) was an Indian businessman who founded The Leela Group.

He traveled to Bangalore in 1942 to join the Indian Army, and was posted as wireless officer in Abbottabad (in present-day Pakistan).

[6] He became an aid of Netaji Shubhash Chandra Bose and later came in close contact with leaders of Indian Freedom Movement.

Through frequent business trips to Europe and the United States, Nair gained exposure to international hotels such as Adlon Kempinski, Dorchester, Savoy, George V and Waldorf-Astoria, which would inspire his own eventual entry into the hospitality industry.

[6] In 1958, he joined hands with Brooks Brothers to announce Bleeding Madras fabric, which later had clients like Tommy Hilfiger, Wal-Mart, Liz Claiborne and Macy's.

[6] In 1957, Nair was part of a delegation of the All India Handloom Board to West Germany, which involved visits to Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich and Hamburg.

Nair is a relative of V. P. Menon, an Indian civil servant who was the Constitutional Adviser and Political Reforms Commissioner to the last three Viceroys during British rule in India.