Vice-Chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University and Provost of Somaiya Vidyavihar, Mumbai. Prof. Pillai concurrently serves as the Chancellor of the ICFAI University, Tripura.

He was President of Mewar University, Chiittorgarh, Rajasthan, India (2016–2018). He is the Founder President of Human Development Foundation India, a Civil Society Organization in the National Capital Region, New Delhi. 

He has served as the Executive Vice-President of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Govt. of Kerala during the period

2011–2014. Simultaneously, he held positions as the Principal Secretary, Science & Technology Department of the Govt. of Kerala, Chairman of the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Kerala Biotechnology Commission.

Prior to that Prof. Pillai was the Vice-Chancellor of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi, holding simultaneously the position of the Chairman, Distance Education Council, Govt. of India.

He served as Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the University Grants Commission, Govt. of India, New Delhi during the period 2002–2006.