He previously was the dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and an associate professor in the Department of Indian Studies at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth University in India. Ponniah specializes in popular religious movements in India. He published The Dynamics of Folk Religion in Society in 2011 and has co-edited three other books, in addition to writing numerous articles. Ponniah was also a part of the Christianity and Freedom Project headed by the Berkley Center's Religious Freedom Project. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Madras.