Adar Poonawalla
Adar Poonawalla | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 14, 1981 India |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, CEO of Serum Institute of India, Chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Known for | CEO of Serum Institute of India, Chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp |
Adar Poonawalla (born 14 January 1981) is a prominent Indian entrepreneur, currently holding the position of CEO at the Serum Institute of India and Chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp. He is the son of Cyrus Poonawalla, who established the Serum Institute.[1][2]
Personal life
Adar Poonawalla, the son of Cyrus Poonawala, belongs to the Parsi community (Zoroastrian). He is married to Natasha Poonawalla and they have two children.[3][4] In December 2023, he purchased London’s priciest residential property for Rs 1446 crore (£138 million).[5][6]
Education
Poonawalla received his schooling at The Bishop's School (Pune), followed by studies at St Edmund's School Canterbury and later graduated from the University of Westminster.
Career
After completing his education, Poonawalla joined the Serum Institute of India in 2001, concentrating on expanding its international presence, obtaining new product approvals, and achieving WHO pre-qualification to supply UN agencies. By 2015, he had significantly increased exports to more than 140 countries, with overseas sales accounting for approximately 85% of the company’s revenue.
He was appointed CEO in 2011 and spearheaded the acquisition of Bilthoven Biologicals, a vaccine manufacturer based in the Netherlands, in 2012. Additionally, Poonawalla holds a board position at the GAVI Alliance. Under his guidance, Serum introduced a highly successful oral polio vaccine in 2014 and planned to broaden its vaccine range to include products targeting dengue, influenza, and cervical cancer. He continues to serve as CEO of the Serum Institute.
On 31 May 2021, following his purchase of a 66% stake in the financial services company, he assumed the role of chairman at Poonawalla Fincorp. In 2024, he also acquired half ownership of Dharma Productions for a sum of 1,000 crore.
Threats demanding COVID-19 vaccines
In an interview with The Times, Poonawalla disclosed that he relocated from India to London due to threats linked to demands for COVID-19 vaccines. He revealed intentions to increase COVID vaccine manufacturing beyond India while continuing production domestically. After these threats became public, the Indian government provided him with 'Y' category security.
Philanthropy
In 2020, the Serum Institute of India pledged $66 million to the University of Oxford for the creation of the Poonawalla Vaccines Research Building.
Awards
- 2016: Honored as Philanthropist of the Year by GQ Magazine.
- 2017: Awarded the Humanitarian Endeavour Award at the Hall of Fame Awards and recognized as Indian of the Year in the CSR Business Category by CNN-News18.
- 2018: Received the Business Leader of the Year accolade from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with CNBC Asia’s Corporate Social Responsibility Award.
- 2020: Included in Fortune magazine's '40 Under 40' list under the healthcare sector.
- 2021: Designated Entrepreneur of the Year by Economic Times for pivotal efforts in distributing Covishield, and selected for the Time 100 list highlighting the world’s most influential individuals.
External links
- ↑ "The Real Vaccine Billionaires of India Maharashtra". Bloomberg. 11 August 2020.
- ↑ "Poonawalla Fincorp well capitalised to touch Rs 50,000 cr AUM in 5 years". The Economic Times. 27 December 2022.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedindiaherald.com 2023 m263 - ↑ "Poonawalla buys the priciest property in London worth Rs 1446 Crore". BruTimes.
- ↑ "Adar Poonawalla strikes a deal to buy London's most expensive house of the year worth ₹1446 crore". Hindustan Times. 12 December 2023.