Vaccine Man of India: Adar Poonawala

Adar Poonawala biography

Adar Poonawalla (born 14 January 1981) is the chief executive officer (CEO) and executive director of Serum Institute of India. Founded in 1966 by his father, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, it is the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced.Adar is an alma mater of the prestigious Cathedral & John Connon School of Mumbai as well as the University of Westminster.He resides at a 50+ acre home in Koregaon Park, Pune

Aadhar Poonawalla joined Serum Institute in 2001 after graduating from the University of Westminster in London. Then exporting its products to 35 countries, Poonawalla concentrated on the company’s international market and getting new products licensed and pre-qualified by the World Health Organization for supply to United Nations Agencies including UNICEF and PAHO. As of 2015, the company exports its products to over 140 countries; 85 percent of its revenues are from overseas.

In 2011, he became the CEO of Serum Institute of India with full control of day-to-day operations of the company. In 2012 he played a major role in the acquisition of Bilthoven Biologicals a Netherlands-based government vaccine manufacturing company. Poonawalla is a board member of the GAVI Alliance, the global Vaccine Alliance.

He initiated and launched in 2014 Serum Institute’s oral polio vaccine, which went on to become a bestseller for the company and every year plans to launch a new vaccines for public health starting from 2017. In 2014, it was reported that he planned to expand the product portfolio to include vaccines for dengue, flu and cervical cancer.

In 2013 he hosted Charles, Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall during a private visit to Serum Institute’s manufacturing facility in India.

In 2016, he was selected by Economic Times as business leader under the age of 40.

He was also listed by GQ magazine as one of the 50 most influential young Indians and was awarded philanthropist of the year 2016.

On 7 January 2016 he launched www.adarpcleancity.com, a city-wide initiative where he committed and spent 20 million dollars to clean up the city of Pune using hundreds of trucks, Glutton machines and bins across the city under his personal management and dedicated team.