Dr Cyrus Poonawalla is the founder and chairman of the Serum Institute of India — the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally. His Pune-based company produces over 1.5 billion doses of vaccines annually, protecting children across the developing world.
The Serum Institute manufactures vaccines for diseases including polio, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps and rubella — providing affordable immunisation to over 170 countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the institute played a critical global role in producing the AstraZeneca vaccine at scale.
Dr Poonawalla began the Serum Institute in 1966 with a vision of making affordable vaccines accessible to all. His extraordinary achievement in building the world's largest vaccine company — and his commitment to public health — has protected the lives of billions of people.