Cyrus Poonawalla | India’s leading vaccine king success story

Cyrus Poonawalla one among the richest businessman of India mainly known as “Vaccine king of India”. Every story has its own identity similarly this is not only path of success it’s a pick and drop on opportunity utilization based on market. Cyrus story reflect about the identifying the market strategies and opportunities to come up with best business plans. He found a largest vaccine manufacturing company called serum institute of India making a affordable for Indian citizens.

Early Life

Cyrus Poonawalla was born in Pune, India in 1941. His family was into horse breeding. Poonawalla went to Bishop School. Later, graduated from Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, University of Pune in 1966.

He was awarded a PhD in 1988 by the Pune University for his thesis entitled as “Improved Technology in the Manufacture of Specific Anti-toxins and its Socio-Economic Impact on the Society”. Born and boughtup in wealthy family who runs a horse breed and run race. Soon realized that racing has no future so he started manufacturing of cars with his friends and built Jaguar D-Type sports cars cost of $120.

Building cars for community in Mass is better than building one this needed much capital to invest. Meanwhile, few horses were donated for making serum as vaccine to a Haffkine institute in Mumbai. Serum vaccine gave him an idea demand in supply a business strategy. Hence, decided to go for serum industry which provide a vaccine in low price all over.

Serum institute of India

Initially, setting up vaccine industry with lack of publishing strategy was issues that made very tough in India compared to western world. Further challenge getting recognized in order to grow around the map of vaccine manufacturing. Even though with many hurdles Crossing all those in the year 1966 with USD 12000 which was collected by selling the horses.

With the theme of vaccine for all Cyrus started a serum institute proving a affordable vaccine over wide range. With vision of quality and affordable medicine over the india Cyrus planted serum institute that produces vaccines which cost Rs. 5 just even poor person in India easily afford. Growing through a small step to now wide range of production led in collaborating with many industries.

The firm mainly known for pediatric vaccine against Meningococcal A, H1N1 Influenza, Rotavirus and several other diseases. Serum produces over 1.5 billion doses annually of a range of vaccines. Which includes for measles, polio and flu. Under his son Adar, the company invested $800 million to build a new factory to make Covid-19 vaccines. And with partnerships and produces Covishield, the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

Personal Life

Dr Poonawalla married to Late Villoo Poonawalla. His wife died on 8th June 2010 due to a massive cardiac arrest. He has son Adar who is the Executive Director (Operations) at the Serum Institute, Adar’s wife Natasha.

Initially when started a industry he has no idea how to develop so hired few doctors to work on with a struggle to 2 years they came out with a first vaccine. Taking a challenge and making it opportunity turning it to dream finally achieved it as serum institute of India with $11.5 billion company.

Work as philanthropist and Awards

2005 Poonawalla presented Lifetime Achievement Award and Padma Shri by the Indian government for his contribution in the field of medicine for providing mass peoduction Covid-19 vaccine. He is also the first Indian to get “Excellence in Inter-American Public Health” award from by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Concurrently from the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF).

In 2019, in partnership with Naum Keon had proposed supplying Ukraine with 100 thousand doses of the measles vaccine for free.

Inspiring thoughts

A major thought that youngster can grab is usage of the demand in opportunity and supplying it to society with little hard work can make you stand among the top lists of richest persons. A big salute too Cyrus who thought of producing affordable with best hygiene vaccines with WHO and U.N. organisations, along with that his company exports vaccine to over 150 countries globally.

Also Read: G.D. Birla | The success story of the Indian industrialist and businessman