Nowadays, he is considered to be the biggest employer in the Middle East with a work force of 70,000, out of which 80% come from India. He has also been investing heavily in his native country be it in banks, hotels, real estate and various other cost-effective assets. Among his future projects, the one worth mentioning is the construction of a 280-room Crowne Plaza Hotel that is slated for a 2016 opening. Ravi Pillai, who owns several homes around the world and collects watches, had his daughter Arathi, a doctor, join the business in April 2014.