Adar Poonawalla on COVID Gamble, Future Vaccines & India's Health Legacy
Adar Poonawalla on his COVID-19 risk, HPV vaccine rollout, and why doing good with money matters more than profits. A legacy of health, not just business.
In a compelling conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla opens up about his high-stakes decision during the COVID-19 pandemic, his vision for future vaccines, and the personal journey that shaped one of the world's largest vaccine manufacturers.
Reflecting on the early COVID years, Adar Poonawalla shares the weight of risking his personal and company’s credibility to mass-produce a vaccine when the world stood still. “The biggest risk was not financial, it was reputational,” he told Barkha Dutt. He describes sleepless nights and the burden of leading India's vaccination effort, calling it his “MBA of life.”
Beyond COVID, the discussion highlights Serum's future focus: rolling out the HPV vaccine to combat cervical cancer, launching vaccines for dengue, malaria, and yellow fever, and pushing for policy changes to ease vaccine approval in India. Poonawalla is also vocal about challenges from global vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and U.S. regulatory barriers.
Venturing into new territory, Poonawalla speaks about his partnership with filmmaker Karan Johar, combining storytelling and social impact through content creation. Despite these expansions, he affirms that vaccines remain the core of his life’s mission.
Conclusion Bottomline by Barkha Dutt:
Adar Poonawalla didn’t just inherit a legacy—he defined it. In times of crisis, he stood up not for profit, but for purpose.
Quote from the interview:
“You can't take money to heaven. If I can use it to address inequality and do good for humanity, that’s all I hope to achieve.”
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