{{Short description|Indian billionaire businessman (born 1941)}} {{Use British English|date=September 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Cyrus Poonawalla | image = The Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Shri Arun Jaitley felicitating Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, at the Iranshah Udvada Utsav, in Udvada, Gujarat on December 27, 2015.jpg | image_size = | alt = Adar Poonawalla and Cyrus Poonawalla | caption = Poonawalla in 2015 (2nd from right) | birth_name = Cyrus Soli Poonawalla | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1941|5|11}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | education = Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce | occupation = Businessman, owner of Bilthoven Biologicals, Serum Institute of India, Poonawalla Fincorp | years_active = 1966–present | known_for = Founder of Serum Institute of India and owner of Poonawalla Group of Companies | spouse = {{Marriage|Villoo Poonawalla||2010|reason=died}} | children = Adar Poonawalla | awards = Padma Shri (2005), x15px Padma Bhushan (2022) | website = {{URL|http://cyruspoonawalla.com/}} }}
'''Cyrus Soli Poonawalla''' (born 11 May 1941) is an Indian billionaire businessman, and the chairman and managing director of the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, which includes the Serum Institute of India, an Indian biotech company which is the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, and Poonawalla Fincorp, a leading NBFC in India.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |title=Biography |url=https://cyruspoonawalla.com/content/biography.html|access-date=26 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Index |url=https://cyruspoonawalla.com/index.html|access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref> In 2022, he was ranked as the 4th richest person in India on Forbes India rich list with a net worth of $24.3 billion.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-10-07|title=Forbes India Rich List 2021|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/forbes-india-rich-list-2021-mukesh-ambani-retains-top-spot-101633584948769.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-08|website=The Hindustan Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007054023/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/forbes-india-rich-list-2021-mukesh-ambani-retains-top-spot-101633584948769.html |archive-date=7 October 2021 }}</ref> He was ranked number 1 on the Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hurun Report – Info – Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022 |url=https://www.hurun.net/en-US/Info/Detail?num=T2N2I87WXDLX |website=hurun.net}}</ref>
In October 2024, Poonawalla and his family were ranked ninth on Forbes list of India’s 100 richest tycoons, with a net worth of $22.1 billion.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 9, 2024 |title=India's 100 Richest |url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/india-billionaires/ |website=India’s 100 Richest}}</ref>
== Early life and career == Cyrus Soli Poonawalla was born in a Parsi (Zoroastrian) family;<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Thacker |first1=Teena |last2=Rajagopal |first2=Divya |title=Serum Institute founder Cyrus Poonawalla to keep some vaccine aside for Parsis |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/serum-institute-founder-to-keep-some-vaccine-aside-for-parsis/articleshow/77187156.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2022-04-01}}</ref> to parents Soli and Gool Poonawalla.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Serum Institute Of India. |url=https://www.seruminstitute.com/milestone.php#:~:text=Cyrus%20Poonawalla%20with%20his%20father,%20Soli%20Poonawalla%20and%20Mother,%20Gool%20Poonawalla%20at%20the%20foundation%20stone%20ceremony%20on%2012th%20June%201966%20at%20212,%20Hadapsar,%20Serum%20Institute%20of%20India. |access-date=2025-10-26 |website=www.seruminstitute.com}}</ref> His father Soli Poonawalla was a horse breeder.<ref name=":2" />
Poonawalla founded the Serum Institute of India in 1966 and built it into the world's largest vaccine manufacturer (by volume) and supplier to over 140 countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Serum Institute Of India. |url=https://www.seruminstitute.com/milestone.php#:~:text=That's%20the%20guiding,Institute%20of%20India. |access-date=2025-10-26 |website=www.seruminstitute.com}}</ref> Serum Institute produces over 1.5 billion doses annually of a range of vaccines, including for Measles, Polio and Flu.<ref name=":1" />
==Personal life== Poonawalla was married to Villoo Poonawalla, who died in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kapur|first=Shweta|date=8 June 2010|title=Villoo Poonawalla passes away at 67|url=https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pune/cover-story/villoo-poonawalla-passes-away-at-67/articleshow/32330734.cms|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-08|website=Pune Mirror|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727125745/https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/pune/cover-story/villoo-poonawalla-passes-away-at-67/articleshow/32330734.cms |archive-date=27 July 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=14 June 2010|title=Villoo Poonawalla's death leaves a void in racing|url=http://www.racingpulse.in/code/stpage.aspx?pgid=15735|url-status=live|access-date=2020-07-27|website=Racing Pulse|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727123640/http://www.racingpulse.in/code/stpage.aspx?pgid=15735 |archive-date=27 July 2020 }}</ref> Together they have a son, Adar, who currently works as the CEO of Serum Institute of India.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Cyrus Poonawalla|url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/cyrus-poonawalla/|access-date=2020-12-10|website=Forbes}}</ref> He has two grandchildren.
==Awards== * Padma Shri for his contribution to the field of medicine, by the Government of India in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954–2009) |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2013 }}</ref> * The Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" in the category of Healthcare & Life Sciences in November 2007.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla – Honours and Awards|url=https://www.cyruspoonawalla.com/content/honorsandawards.html|access-date=2020-08-04|website=cyruspoonawalla.com}}</ref> * The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for India in February 2015.<ref name=":0" /> * Honorary doctorate by the University of Massachusetts Medical School in June 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-08-07|title=Padma-Winning Pune Man Becomes 1st Indian to Get 'Doctor of Humane Letters' Degree!|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/155157/pune-padma-cyrus-poonawalla-doctor-of-humane-letters/|access-date=2020-08-04|website=The Better India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla conferred honorary degree by The University of Massachusetts Medical School |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmM6yDz7nlU&feature=youtu.be|access-date=2020-08-04|via=YouTube| date=8 June 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Honorary degrees awarded at Encaenia 2019 |url=https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-06-26-honorary-degrees-awarded-encaenia-2019|access-date=2020-08-04|publisher=University of Oxford|date=26 June 2019}}</ref> * Honorary doctorate by the University of Oxford in June 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Honorary degree recipients for 2019 announced |date=25 March 2019 |url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-03-25-honorary-degree-recipients-2019-announced |publisher=The University of Oxford |access-date=26 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Oxford degree for Cyrus Poonawalla |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1eefeIlBpw&feature=youtu.be|access-date=2020-08-04|via=YouTube| date=5 July 2019 }}</ref> *'ICMR Lifetime Achievement Medal' for contribution in healthcare by Bill Gates in November 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bill Gates Confers ICMR Award to Dr.Cyrus Poonawalla |url=https://www.punekarnews.in/bill-gates-confers-icmr-award-to-dr-cyrus-poonawalla/ |website=Punekar News |date=19 November 2019 |access-date=7 March 2023}}</ref> *Lokmanya Tilak National Award in August 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title=SII chairman Cyrus Poonawalla named recipient of Lokmanya Tilak National Award |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sii-chairman-cyrus-poonawalla-named-recipient-of-lokmanya-tilak-national-award-7431768/ |work=The Indian Express |date=31 July 2021}}</ref> *Dean's medal from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in May 2022.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sharma |first1=Ruchika |title=SII chief Dr Cyrus S Poonawalla conferred Dean's Medal by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. |url=https://medicaldialogues.in/news/industry/pharma/sii-chief-dr-cyrus-s-poonawalla-conferred-deans-medal-by-johns-hopkins-bloomberg-school-of-public-health-93374 |website=Medicaldialogues |date=24 May 2022 |access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref> *Padma Bhushan, for his contribution in production of vaccines during COVID-19, in the field of Trade and Industry, by the Government of India in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-01-25|title=Padma awards announced, Padma Vibhushan to Gen Bipin Rawat, Kalyan Singh|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/padma-awards-announced-padma-vibhushan-to-gen-bipin-rawat-kalyan-singh-7741465/|access-date=2022-01-25|website=The Indian Express}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Padma Awards, Government of India|url=https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/padmaawardees2022.pdf|website=Padma Awards 2022}}</ref><ref name="Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla to be conferred with Padma Bhushan">{{cite news |title=Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla to be conferred with Padma Bhushan |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/dr-cyrus-poonawalla/article64939834.ece |accessdate=26 January 2022 |date=25 January 2022 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126110119/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/dr-cyrus-poonawalla/article64939834.ece |archivedate=26 January 2022}}</ref>
==Philanthropy==
In May 2019, it was reported that Poonawalla, in partnership with Naum Koen, had proposed supplying Ukraine with 100 thousand doses of the measles vaccine for free vaccination.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://journalist.today/en/patrons-ready-to-support-fight-measles-outbreak-in-ukraine/|title=Patrons ready to support fight measles outbreak in Ukraine|publisher=Journalist.today |last=Вергун|first=Костянтин|date=27 May 2019|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vesti-ukr.com/strana/338008-obespechit-ukraintsev-vaktsinnoj-ot-kori-pomohut-metsenaty|title=Обеспечить украинцев вакцинной от кори помогут меценаты|website=vesti-ukr.com|date=28 May 2019 |access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref>
In April, 2026 Raja Ravi Varma's iconic painting Yashoda and Krishna [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Yashoda_with_Krishna%2C_Raja_Ravi_Varma.jpg/960px-Yashoda_with_Krishna%2C_Raja_Ravi_Varma.jpg] was sold for a record Rs 167.20 crore at Saffronart's Spring Live Auction in Mumbai on Wednesday, when he acquired the work, marking the highest-value sale of modern Indian art at auction. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/lifestyle/serum-institutes-cyrus-poonawalla-buys-raja-ravi-varma-painting-for-record-rs-167-crore-11301767 | title=Serum Institute's Cyrus Poonawalla Buys Raja Ravi Varma Painting For Record Rs 167 Crore |website=ndtv.com|date=2 April 2026 | access-date=2026-04-02 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/cyrus-poonawalla-buys-ravi-varma-s-yashoda-and-krishna-for-record-167-cr-126040200293_1.html | title=Cyrus Poonawalla buys Ravi Varma's Yashoda and Krishna for record ₹167 cr|website=business-standard.com|date=2 April 2026 | access-date=2026-04-02 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://www.forbes.com/profile/cyrus-poonawalla/?list=india-billionaires&sh=4a9fd20b7d01 Profile] at Forbes {{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Medicine}} {{Padma Bhushan Award Recipients 2020–2029}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poonawalla, Cyrus S.}} Category:Businesspeople from Pune Category:Indian billionaires Category:Indian chief executives Category:Indian businesspeople in the pharmaceutical industry Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in medicine Category:Living people Category:Savitribai Phule Pune University alumni Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople Category:1941 births Category:21st-century Indian businesspeople Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in trade and industry Category:Parsi people Category:Businesspeople from Gujarat Category:Poonawalla Group