Govindasamy Pillai grew up in an Indian village of Koorainadu, Mayavaram, Tanjore District,Tamil Nadu. In his teens, he ran away from home and boarded a ship to Singapore, landing at Tanjong Pagar in 1905. After many unsuccessful attempts looking for a job, he gained employment at a provision store at 50 Serangoon Road. It was a backbreaking job starting before dawn and ending after midnight. He was given no wages, only food and accommodation. However, it was during this time that he learnt to run a business, knowledge that would put him in good stead later.
Being thrifty and frugal, he managed to save enough to invest in properties and to start other businesses such as textile shops, flour and spice mills. PGP saree shops were popular and his sons later expanded this business. The Little India Arcade currently occupies the place where P. Govindasamy Pillai saree shop and supermarket once stood. He also invested in properties in Serangoon Road, Race Course Road and Buffalo Road.Pillai was one of the few successful South Indian businessmen and managed to build two houses in Campbell Lane and later in Race Course Road.
During the Japanese occupation, Pillai and his family escaped the horrors of war for they were in India but his property and goods were confiscated. He returned to Singapore in 1945 and started all over again. He expanded his business across the Causeway and opened PGP stores in Malacca and Johor.He retired in 1963, handing over the family business, valued at S$3 million to his children. After the death of his youngest son, his daughter-in law managed the PGP stores. It ran into huge debts and was closed down in 1998.
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