His father, N. A. Mohammed, moved from Kasaragod, Kerala to Bhadravati, Karnataka in 1960 to set up a metal scrapping shop.

[5] Through the Nalapad family's business, Haris came in contact with Indian National Congress leader K. J. George, who also hailed from Kerala.

In the early 2000s, Haris became a trusted aide of K. J. George and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

He gained popularity through charitable work, especially through the N A Haris foundation which provided scholarships to underprivileged children and organized job fairs.

In 2017, Haris' 28-year-old son, Mohammed Nalapad, was appointed the General Secretary of the Bengaluru Youth Congress.