[1] He is known for his works covering the history of India from late medieval through colonial times, with his debut book, The Ivory Throne, focusing on the Travancore monarchy.

[3] Following his education, he worked with the Parliamentary office of Shashi Tharoor in New Delhi and Lord Karan Bilimoria in London.

[4] He also worked as a researcher on the BBC Radio 4 series, Incarnations with Sunil Khilnani, which tells the story of India through fifty great lives.

[5] Pillai's debut book The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore, about Rani Sethu Lakshmi Bhay's reign as the regent of Travancore, earned him the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2017.

[9] Rebel Sultans, Pillai's second work, narrates the story of the late medieval Deccan over four centuries.