Prof. Felix Sugantham M.F. SC., Ph.D.

View the Profile

Prof.S. Felix Was Born In A Small Hamlet Puthenthurai At Kanyakumari Dist., Tamil Nadu On 30th July 1960 To A Middleclass Tamil Family. Felix Has First Grades In School, And He Was Very Hardworking And Had An Immense Desire To Learn. He Spent A Lot Of Time Studying And Had Developed A Particular Interest In Science. Felix Had His School Education In Government Higher Secondary School At Mk Pottal , A NearBy Village To Puthenthurai And Went To Fisheries College And Research Institute, Tuticorin In 1977.From Fisheries College , He Graduated In Fisheries Science In 1981 , Later Moved To Madras In (1981) And Joined As A Technical Officer In The First Shrimp Aquaculture Project Of The Country By The Tata Oil Mills Co Ltd, Pulicat After Graduation.

His Career Started In Shrimp Farming In 1981 Amidst A Lot Of Difficulties At Thangal Village At The Bank Of The Pulicat Lake .However, He Was Not Convinced By His Choice Of A Job And Later Went Back To Continue His Post-Graduation In Aquaculture At Tn Veterinary & Animal Sciences University (1984- 86), And Subsequently He Was Selected As Assistant Professor At Fisheries College & Research Institute, Thoothukudi. Felix Also Received A Fao Fellowship Of Three Months To Visit The Texas A & M University, Texas, Usa In 2000.

He Has Also Designed And Developed Ideas For A Number Of Significant Innovations, The Majority Of Which Were Aquaculture Systems That Are Deployed In Commercial Shrimp Farming Practices. He Is Most Recognised For His Contribution To Advanced Aquaculture Systems And In Fisheries Biotechnology.

It Is A Matter Of Great Pride That He Has Been Also Appointed As The President For The World Aquaculture Society-Asian Pacific Chapter For The First Time From India (2017-19). He Has Impacted The Indian Aquaculture Practices By Bringing The Global Aquaculture Practices And Expertise From Several Southeast Asian Countries Like Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia And Singapore. He Has Also Represented The Indian Aquaculture Industry To The Different Countries Including France & Usa.

With 44 Years Of Experience In Academics And Research, He Has Received Various Accolades In His Administration Transition From Assistant Professor To Associate Professor And Finally To Professor. His Elevation As The First Dean Of The Fisheries College & Research Institute, Ponneri Was Another Benchmark In His Career. His Desirable Strength Was To Establish Infrastructure To Equip Learning Amongst Students And Faculty. He Has Completed 35 R&D And Infras Projects And Generated A Huge Fund For The University At Different Phases Of His Career.

He Is Said To Have Sketched Up The Concepts Of Nursery Rearing Using Advanced Culture System Like Raceways, An Essential And Viable Technology That Is Currently Employed In Many Shrimp Farming Practices. For His Strong Administrative And Technical Knowledge In The Sector, He Was Appointed As The Second Vice Chancellor Of Tamil Nadu Dr.J.J. Fisheries University, Nagapattinam.

He Was Brave And Courageous Enough To Take Decisions And Implement Them No Matter If That Was Tough Or Sensitive. He Has Established 12 Colleges,20 Research Centres/Farms And Introduced 32 Courses (Ug, Pg, Ph.D., Paraprofessional Progs) During His Tenure. He Has Also Conducted The Country’s Biggest International Conference In Fisheries Sector By Mobilising 6000 Participants Involving 85 Countries At Chennai In 2019. It Was Also During His Administration When The Historical Building For University Administration Was Inaugurated And Put Into Use.

He Has Brought Back The Quota For Fishermen Children Which Was Kept On Hold For A Long Time During His Tenure As The Vice Chancellor. He Has Also The Credit Of Massive Increase In Students’ Admission Strength By Introducing Self-Finance Mode Programs In Fisheries University For The First Time To Help Admitting More Poor Students For These Courses. After Completing The Tenure From The Vc’s Office , He Shifted And Commenced His Career As A Founder President At The Aquaculture Technology & Research Foundation India (Aquafin) In Chennai. He Also Lit Up Educational Institutions Like The Madras Christian College, Chennai, Kottar Educational Society, Nagercoil And Aachi Educational Trust, Chennai With His Presence And By Sharing His Expertise And Knowledge In Higher Education. Dr.Felix Has Always Been Optimistic That The Two Plans : I. Self-Reliance In The Farming System And Ii. The Technology Adoption Will Take The Country’s Fisheries Sector To The Pinnacle Of Success As It Becomes Stronger And More Prosperous.

He Is An Effective Leader And Team Player Who Meets Demands With The Help Of His Dedicated Teams. He Plays An Integral Role In Encouraging Industry – Institute Interface And Does Not Miss An Opportunity To Share His Views On Entrepreneurship And Management Ideas. His Penchant To Deliver Talks In International Forums Helps Him Gain Wider Experience To Explore Newer Horizons With Aquafin.