Mr. Louis hails from a traditional family of indigenous medicinal practitioners from the Kanyakumari district. He is the Director of Centre for Innovation and Transfer of Technology. He is deeply interested in the herbs connected with indigenous medicine. He has done his Ph.D. and FISG from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. He is a retired Professor and Head, School of Genetics, TNAU, Coimbatore and a specialist in mutation breeding of crop plants and coconut. He is the first Indian to obtain a Ph.D. degree in coconut by submitting a thesis on the genetics of coconut.
Called Phytopalm, it’s a herbal pesticide made from 10 herbals to fight Eriophyde mites and other sucking insects in coconut crop. The extract of 10 herbs – Kolingi (Tephrosia pupurea (L.) Pers), Notchi (Vitex negundo), Lantana, Vinca Rosea, Pongamia, Anona, Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Garlic (Allium sativum) and Cassica Auriculata – is also useful in private gardens.