Cyrus S. Poonawalla Explained

Cyrus S. Poonawalla
Nationality:Indian
Education:Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce
Occupation:Businessman, owner of Bilthoven Biologicals, Serum Institute of India, Poonawalla Fincorp
Years Active:1966 – present
Known For:Founder of Serum Institute of India and owner of Poonawalla Group of Companies
Children:Adar Poonawalla
Awards:Padma Shri (2005), Padma Bhushan (2022)

Cyrus S. Poonawalla (born in 1941) is an Indian billionaire businessman, and the chairman and managing director of the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, which includes the Serum Institute of India, an Indian biotech company which is the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world and Poonawalla Fincorp a leading NBFC in India.[1] [2] In 2022, he is ranked as the 4th richest person in India on Forbes India rich list with a net worth of $24.3 billion.[3] He is ranked number 1 on the Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022.[4]

Early life and career

Cyrus Poonawalla was born in a Parsi (Zoroastrian) family.[5] He is the son of Soli Poonawala, who was a horse breeder.

Poonawalla founded the Serum Institute of India in 1966 and built it into the largest vaccine manufacturer (by doses) in the world. Serum produces over 1.5 billion doses annually of a range of vaccines, including for measles, polio and flu.

Personal life

Poonawalla was married to Villoo Poonawalla, who died in 2010.[6] [7] They have a son, Adar, who currently works as the CEO of Serum Institute of India.[8] He has two grandchildren.

Awards

Philanthropy

In May 2019, it was reported that Poonawalla, in partnership with Naum Koen, had proposed supplying Ukraine with 100 thousand doses of the measles vaccine for free vaccination.[22] [23]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Biography . 26 June 2019.
  2. Web site: Index . 31 March 2020.
  3. Web site: 2021-10-07. Forbes India Rich List 2021. live. 2021-11-08. The Hindustan Times. https://web.archive.org/web/20211007054023/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/forbes-india-rich-list-2021-mukesh-ambani-retains-top-spot-101633584948769.html . 7 October 2021 .
  4. Web site: Hurun Report – Info – Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022 . hurun.net.
  5. News: Thacker . Teena . Rajagopal . Divya . Serum Institute founder Cyrus Poonawalla to keep some vaccine aside for Parsis . The Economic Times . 2022-04-01.
  6. Web site: Kapur. Shweta. 8 June 2010. Villoo Poonawalla passes away at 67. live. 2021-11-08. Pune Mirror. https://web.archive.org/web/20200727125745/https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pune/cover-story/villoo-poonawalla-passes-away-at-67/articleshow/32330734.cms . 27 July 2020 .
  7. Web site: 14 June 2010. Villoo Poonawalla's death leaves a void in racing. live. 2020-07-27. Racing Pulse. https://web.archive.org/web/20200727123640/http://www.racingpulse.in/code/stpage.aspx?pgid=15735 . 27 July 2020 .
  8. Web site: Cyrus Poonawalla. 2020-12-10. Forbes.
  9. Web site: Padma Awards Directory (1954–2009) . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf . 10 May 2013 .
  10. Web site: Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla – Honours and Awards. 2020-08-04. cyruspoonawalla.com.
  11. Web site: 2018-08-07. Padma-Winning Pune Man Becomes 1st Indian to Get 'Doctor of Humane Letters' Degree!. 2020-08-04. The Better India.
  12. Web site: Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla conferred honorary degree by The University of Massachusetts Medical School . 2020-08-04. YouTube. 8 June 2018 .
  13. Web site: Honorary degrees awarded at Encaenia 2019 . 2020-08-04. University of Oxford. 26 June 2019.
  14. Web site: Honorary degree recipients for 2019 announced . 25 March 2019 . The University of Oxford . 26 June 2019.
  15. Web site: Oxford degree for Cyrus Poonawalla . 2020-08-04. YouTube. 5 July 2019 .
  16. Web site: Bill Gates Confers ICMR Award to Dr.Cyrus Poonawalla . Punekar News . 19 November 2019 . 7 March 2023.
  17. News: SII chairman Cyrus Poonawalla named recipient of Lokmanya Tilak National Award . The Indian Express . 31 July 2021.
  18. Web site: Sharma . Ruchika . SII chief Dr Cyrus S Poonawalla conferred Dean's Medal by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. . Medicaldialogues . 24 May 2022 . 11 January 2023.
  19. Web site: 2022-01-25. Padma awards announced, Padma Vibhushan to Gen Bipin Rawat, Kalyan Singh. 2022-01-25. The Indian Express.
  20. Web site: Padma Awards, Government of India. Padma Awards 2022.
  21. News: Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla to be conferred with Padma Bhushan . 26 January 2022 . 25 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220126110119/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/dr-cyrus-poonawalla/article64939834.ece . 26 January 2022.
  22. Web site: Patrons ready to support fight measles outbreak in Ukraine. Journalist.today . Вергун. Костянтин. 27 May 2019. 2019-05-30.
  23. Web site: Обеспечить украинцев вакцинной от кори помогут меценаты. vesti-ukr.com. 28 May 2019 . 2019-05-30.