Cyrus Poonawalla: horse breeder and vaccine king

Early Life and Career:

Birth:

Cyrus S. Poonawalla was born in 1941 into a Gujarati Parsi (Zoroastrian) family. His father, Soli Poonawala, was a horse breeder.

Serum Institute of India:

In 1966, Cyrus Poonawalla founded the Serum Institute of India, which has become the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world by doses.

Vaccine Production:

Serum Institute produces over 1.5 billion doses annually, covering a range of vaccines, including those for measles, polio, and flu.

Personal Life:

Family:

Poonawalla was married to Villoo Poonawalla, who passed away in 2010. They have a son, Adar, who serves as the CEO of the Serum Institute of India. Poonawalla has two grandchildren.

Awards:

Padma Shri (2005):

Received the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2005 for his significant contribution to the field of medicine.

Ernst & Young Awards:

Awarded the “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the Healthcare & Life Sciences category in November 2007 and the Entrepreneur of the Year for India in February 2015.

Honorary Doctorates:

Conferred with honorary doctorates by the University of Massachusetts Medical School in June 2018 and the University of Oxford in June 2019.

ICMR Lifetime Achievement Medal (2019):

Bill Gates presented the ‘ICMR Lifetime Achievement Medal’ for his substantial contribution to healthcare.

Lokmanya Tilak National Award (2021):

Received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in August 2021.

Dean’s Medal (2022):

Awarded the Dean’s medal from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in May 2022.

Padma Bhushan (2022):

Honored with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2022 for his remarkable contribution to vaccine production during COVID-19, specifically in the field of Trade and Industry.

Philanthropy:

Measles Vaccine Donation:

In May 2019, Poonawalla, in collaboration with Naum Koen, proposed supplying Ukraine with 100 thousand doses of the measles vaccine for free vaccination.

Cyrus S. Poonawalla is a prominent figure in the field of medicine, particularly renowned for his leadership in vaccine manufacturing and distribution.