Adar Poonawalla Explained

Adar Poonawalla
Birth Date:14 January 1981
Citizenship:Indian
Education:The Bishop's School (Pune)
St Edmund's School Canterbury
Alma Mater:University of Westminster
Occupation:Businessman
CEO, Serum Institute of India
Chairman, Poonawalla Fincorp
Term:2011present
Spouse:[1]
Children:2
Father:Cyrus Poonawalla

Adar Poonawalla (born 14 January 1981) is an Indian businessman. He is the chief executive officer of Serum Institute of India and Chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp.[2] [3] His father is Cyrus Poonawalla, founder of the Serum Institute of India.[4]

Personal life

Adar Poonawalla is the son of Cyrus Poonawala, a Parsi (Zoroastrian). He is married to Natasha Poonawalla and has two children.[5] In December 2023, Poonawalla purchased the most expensive property in London worth Rs 1446 Crore.[6] [7]

Education

Adar Poonawalla was educated at The Bishop's School (Pune) and at the St Edmund's School Canterbury followed by the University of Westminster.[8]

Career

Poonawalla joined the Serum Institute of India in 2001, after graduating from university. Then exporting its products to 35 countries, Poonawalla concentrated on the company's international market, new products license and getting pre-qualified by the World Health Organization for supply to United Nations Agencies including UNICEF and PAHO. As of 2015, he has helped the company export its products to over 140 countries; 85 percent of its revenues are from overseas.[9] [10]

In 2011, he became the CEO. In 2012, he played a major role in the acquisition of Bilthoven Biologicals, a Netherlands-based government vaccine manufacturing company.[11] [12] Poonawalla is a board member of the GAVI Alliance, the global vaccine alliance.[13]

He initiated and launched Serum Institute's oral polio vaccine in 2014, which became a bestseller for the company. It was reported that he planned to expand the product portfolio to include vaccines for dengue, flu, and cervical cancer during the same year.[10] Presently he is the CEO of Serum Institute of India.[14]

On 31 May 2021, he was appointed as the chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp,[15] after acquiring a 66% stake in the financial services company.[16] [17]

Threats demanding COVID-19 vaccines

In an interview with The Times, Poonawalla declared that he left India for London because of threats demanding COVID-19 vaccines.[18] [19] Poonawalla also said that he will start COVID vaccine production outside India, in addition to the ongoing production in India.[20] [21] He was provided with 'Y' category security by the Indian government as the threats were made public.[22]

Philanthropy

In 2020, Serum Institute of India announced that it would donate $66 million to the University of Oxford to fund the creation of the Poonawalla Vaccines Research Building.[23] [24]

Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Farm fatale: When billionaire Adar Poonawala's }} wife Natasha posed with a horse! ]. 2016-10-28 . The Economic Times . 2018-12-13.
  2. News: The Real Vaccine Billionaires of India Maharashtra. Bloomberg . 11 August 2020 . www.bloomberg.com.
  3. Web site: Poonawalla Fincorp well capitalised to touch Rs 50,000 cr AUM in 5 years.
  4. News: Narayan. Adi. Billionaire-Led Indian Drugmaker's Vaccine Beats Glaxo in Study. 2 September 2015. Bloomberg Business. 15 June 2011.
  5. Web site: Natasha children s Navjot ceremony in Golden saree... . indiaherald.com . 16 May 2023 . 14 July 2023.
  6. Web site: Poonawalla buys the priciest property in London worth Rs 1446 Crore . BruTimes . en.
  7. Web site: Adar Poonawalla strikes a deal to buy London’s most expensive house of the year worth ₹1446 crore . Hindustan Times . en . 12 December 2023.
  8. Web site: Westminster alumnus-led vaccine manufacturer set to play a leading role in large scale production of coronavirus vaccine University of Westminster, London. 2020-09-13. www.westminster.ac.uk.
  9. News: Dangor. Kimi. The private tycoons. 2 September 2015. India Today. 6 June 2005.
  10. Web site: How Cyrus Poonawalla's son, Adar Poonawalla is boldly changing course of the family business. 11 April 2014. 13 August 2015. The Economic Times.
  11. Web site: Serum acquires Dutch firm Bilthoven for over Rs. 550 crore. 4 July 2012. 20 August 2015. Business Line.
  12. Web site: Serum Institute of India buys Dutch vaccine maker for $40.3 mn. 4 July 2012. 20 August 2015. NDTV Profit.
  13. Web site: Governance. www.gavi.org. 10 July 2023 .
  14. Web site: Serum Institute of India Manufacturer of Vaccines & immuno-biologicals - GMP Vaccine Manufacturer . 2024-04-22 . www.seruminstitute.com.
  15. Web site: 2023-06-12 . Adar Poonawalla, Chairman Of Poonawalla Fincorp On ET Now Exclusive The Interview . 2024-04-22 . Times Now . en.
  16. News: Gopakumar . Gopika . Adar Poonawalla appointed as chairman of Magma Fincorp . mint . 2021-05-31 . en.
  17. Web site: Karmali. Naazneen. India's 10 Richest Billionaires 2021. 2021-07-23. Forbes. en.
  18. Web site: India's vaccine czar has left the country for the UK due to "unprecedented" threats. Manavi. Kapur. Quartz. May 2021 .
  19. News: 'Getting aggressive calls from powerful people': Serum CEO Adar Poonawalla on vaccine pressure | India News - Times of India. The Times of India. May 2021 .
  20. Web site: Serum chief flies to UK to escape 'threats' from CMs, corporates biggies. www.telegraphindia.com.
  21. Web site: 'Everything falls on my shoulders': Adar Poonawalla on vaccine pressure in India. 1 May 2021. mint.
  22. Web site: Centre grants Y category security to Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla amid threats over Covishield supplies. www.businesstoday.in. 29 April 2021 .
  23. Web site: India's billionaire Poonawallas pledge $66m to Oxford University. 2021-12-21. www.aljazeera.com. en.
  24. Web site: £50m funding for Poonawalla Vaccines Research Building at Oxford University University of Oxford. 2021-12-21. www.ox.ac.uk. 15 December 2021 . en.
  25. Web site: GQ Awards Men of the Year – Philanthropist . 27 September 2016 . 27 September 2016. GQ India.
  26. Web site: Got Humanitarian Endeavour Award. 28 March 2017. 28 March 2017. Biz Asia.
  27. Web site: Adar Poonawalla is Indian of the Year in CSR Business Category . 30 November 2017. CNN News 18.
  28. Web site: CM Devendra Fadnavis presents the Business Leader of the Year Award to Adar Poonawala . 27 February 2018. Femina.
  29. Web site: Adar Poonawalla received the CNBC Asia's award for Corporate Social Responsibility of the year . 7 April 2018. Livemint.
  30. Web site: Adar Poonawalla 2020 40 under 40 in Health. 2020-09-13. Fortune. en.
  31. News: ET Awards: Adar Poonawalla, doing India proud with a small jab, and a big gamble . The Economic Times . 8 February 2021.
  32. Web site: PM Modi, Mamata, Adar Poonawalla among Time Magazine's 100 'most influential people of 2021' . . 10 November 2021 . en . 15 September 2021.

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