Cyrus S. Poonawalla

Cyrus S. Poonawalla (born in 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.

In 2022, he is ranked as the 4th richest person in India on Forbes India rich list with a net worth of $24.3 billion.

He is ranked number 1 on the Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022.

Cyrus Poonawalla was born in a Parsi (Zoroastrian) family.

He is the son of Soli Poonawala, who was a horse breeder.

Poonawalla founded the Serum Institute of India in 1966 and built it to the largest vaccine manufacturer (by doses) in the world.

Serum produces over 1.5 billion doses annually of a range of vaccines, including for measles, polio and flu.

Poonawalla was married to Villoo Poonawalla, who died in 2010.

They have a son, Adar, who currently works as the CEO of Serum Institute of India.

He has two grandchildren.

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.