Adar Poonawalla

Adar Poonawalla is the CEO of Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by volume. Founded by his father Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla in 1966, SII produces over three billion vaccine doses annually, including 1.5 billion COVID-19 vaccines, and continues to develop vaccines for global outbreaks and preventable diseases.

Poonawalla joined SII in 2001 after graduating from the University of Westminster, London. Initially focused on international markets, he ensured new products were licensed and pre-qualified by the WHO for supply to UN agencies. Taking over as CEO in 2011, Poonawalla reduced vaccine prices for developing communities and expanded SII’s reach to over 170 countries.

In 2020, SII announced that it would donate $66 million to the University of Oxford to fund the creation of the Poonawalla Vaccines Research Building. In 2012, he and his wife Natasha founded the Villoo Poonawalla Charitable Foundation, focusing on education, healthcare, safe water, and sanitation in Pune, where SII is based. He also founded Poonawalla Fincorp in 2019, a digital non-banking financial company.

Poonawalla served on the board of GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and has received numerous accolades, including Fortune’s Greatest Leaders (2021), TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2021, Economic Times Entrepreneur of the Year (2021), and Indian of the Year – CSR Category (2020). In 2017, he was appointed Brand Ambassador for Swachh Bharat, a national campaign for improved waste management.