Dr Cyrus Poonawalla’s global contribution to the manufacturing of vaccines was recognized with a Padma Bhushan award by the Indian government
Parinaz Gandhi
Do you expect another Covid wave in India? How long will the world have to live with the coronavirus? When Parsiana posed these two questions to Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, he responded philosophically with "Only God can give you the answer.” Amidst his myriad commitments, Poonawalla made time to give a few brief answers to the magazine.
Three weeks prior, Poonawalla had been conferred the Padma Bhushan by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, with the official website padmaawards.gov.in introducing him as "Veteran pharma leader — founder of world’s largest vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute which played a crucial role in Covid.” For his "distinguished service of high order” Poonawalla featured among the 17 recipients of the country’s third highest civilian award in 2022.
To Poonawalla who has been decorated with scores of awards and honors in the last two decades, the latest recognition may have been akin to a booster shot. The titan’s achievements merited inclusion under "trade and industry.” Poonawalla though could have qualified for the award in several other fields too like science and engineering, medicine, social work, education, public affairs or sports for his vista of work and recreation encompasses them all.
The only Zoroastrian to feature among the 128 Padma awardees announced by the Home Ministry, more excited than 80-year-old Poonawalla was the Parsi community to learn about the honor bestowed on him at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on Jamshedi Navroz, March 21, 2022. As his name and accomplishments were announced, Poonawalla briskly walked up the red carpet, greeted the Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah with a namaste before reaching the President who presented him the insignia and scroll of honor.
Dr Cyrus Poonawalla (top and above) with (from l) Narendra Modi, Cyrus,
Natasha and Adar Poonawalla; above r: with Charles, Prince of Wales
From l: Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, Bill Gates, Adar Poonawalla
As chairman of the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, he oversees the operations of seven companies: Serum Institute of India (SII), Poonawalla Fincorp, Bilthoven Biologicals, Poonawalla Aviation, Villoo Poonawalla Greenfield Farms, Poonawalla Clean Energy and Poonawalla Hospitality and Real Estate. The SII which was founded over 55 years ago has come to be regarded as India’s top biotech company and the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally (more than 1.5 billion doses). His thesis entitled "Improved technology in the manufacture of specific anti-toxins and its socioeconomic impact on society” had earned him a PhD from the Poona University in 1988. His extensive research as also his firm resolve in "No compromise with quality” and "Health for all with affordable vaccines” has seen SII export vaccines to over 140 countries with one out of every two children in the world inoculated with a vaccine from SII.
The Covishield vaccines produced by SII, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, helped contain the Covid surge at a crucial time within India and in the countries where it was exported. Cyrus’s son Adar as SII’s chief executive officer was continually on the front page of national dailies when he was desperately trying to meet the global demands for the valuable vaccines.
Born into a family that owned the Poonawalla Stud Farms, by the age of 20 years Cyrus realized that horse racing had no future in the socialist India of that time. He then designed a sportscar along the lines of D-type Jaguar with an old friend from Bishops School. But when they realized they did not have enough funds to go into commercial production of such a venture, Cyrus decided on delivering a product for the masses, rather than India’s elite, although his passion for custom built limousines and sports cars continues till this day.
On learning that the Farms’ retired horses were donated to the government-owned Haffkine Institute in Bombay which made vaccines from horse serum he decided to take up the challenge himself to produce cheaper vaccines by founding SII in 1966. Within two years SII had launched its first therapeutic anti-tetanus serum and begun producing anti-tetanus vaccines. Then followed the DTP vaccine that protects children from diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, and after that an anti-snake-venom serum for snakebites. When SII produced its measles vaccine M-Vac, it became the country’s largest vaccine manufacturer by 1990 helping India implement its national program of immunization. Once SII got accredited by the World Health Organization to export vaccines from India, it started supplying high quality vaccines to United Nations agencies such as United Nations Children’s Fund and Pan American Health Organization.
Creator and contributor
The business magnate recently featured in the Hurun Global Rich List — 2022 as "the 55th richest person and richest healthcare billionaire in the world” with his wealth valued at USD 26 billion. When he was conferred with the honorary life membership of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe five years ago Lord Karan Bilimoria had remarked, "We have our own Cyrus the Great, Dr Cyrus Poonawalla.” Comparing Cyrus’s magnanimity with the one exhibited by the emperor of Babylon in the sixth century BC, Bilimoria had further remarked, "Cyrus…you are not just a billionaire, not just one of the wealthiest people in the world, not just a creator of wealth but you are a contributor who continually gives back.”
Known to support many community causes, Cyrus was one of the vital sponsors of "The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination” exhibition held at Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London and then brought down to Delhi. The 10th World Zoroastrian Congress in Bombay in 2013 would have been almost aborted had it not been for his timely intervention and generosity. The Iranshah Udvada Utsav in its early avatars was financed by the benefactor too.
Religiously inclined, Cyrus has over the years contributed to the renovation of the Poona Kadmi and Shehenshai Anjuman Dar-e-Meher also known as Komra ni agiary and safeguarding of the Doongerwadi property in Poona. Pragmatic and progressive in his approach, in response to a query from Parsiana this April, he declared, "I am very much for the children of Parsi mothers married to non-Parsis to be considered as Parsis, just like the children from Parsi fathers married to non-Parsis are considered to be Parsis.”
Disappointed that frequently "wealth is dissipated in litigation” in affluent families, Cyrus ensures that besides his own community, many other causes too benefit from his largesse. There are three schools named after Cyrus Poonawalla — in Uruli Kanchan, Baramati and Rasta Peth in Poona district, and another in Alibaug in addition to the one named after his wife Villoo in the Camp area and his father Soli in Hadapsar, in Poona. A graduate from the Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, his alma mater in Poona now has the Dr Cyrus Poonawalla Conference Hall.
The Villoo Poonawalla Foundation, started 10 years ago in memory of Cyrus’s late wife, and now chaired by his daughter-in-law Natasha has been enhancing lives through its focus on education, healthcare, sanitation and environment. The Villoo Poonawalla Memorial Hospital is yet another testimony to his largesse.
The city of Poona has benefitted immensely from the initiatives introduced by the Poonawalla family. They have additionally instituted parks and gardens (for example the Gool Poonawalla Garden in Poona, two gardens in Baramati and one garden at Tasgaon in Maharashtra). As part of the highway road improvement, they have provided for traffic wardens for better transport facilities to industries in and around the city. An executive council member of the Poona District Leprosy Committee, Cyrus has contributed towards the construction of the Gool Poonawalla Building, in memory of his mother, for housing a large rehabilitation project for leprosy cured persons.
Racing on
Commanding considerable respect in the horse racing fraternity, as a horse breeder and winner of Derby races, Poonawalla has held esteemed posts like chairman, Turf Authorities of India, Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC), Stud Book Authority of India and Pattern Races Committee. He was also elected vice chairman of the Asian Racing Federation.
"It is true that the RWITC is facing a financial crunch because of a decline in the number of race attendance and high taxation by the central government,” confirmed Poonawalla when asked by Parsiana. He believes, "RWITC’s fortunes can be revived if the taxation by the center and other levies by the state are reasonable and sustainable. To bring back the crowds again is a big challenge and will need a lot of funding and sponsors or a white knight.”
Having come to the timely rescue of several individuals and organizations, Cyrus may well prove to be the white knight for yet another cause.