The world is a rat race and we are all just passing through. Amidst us normal folks, some extraordinary individuals sour high and rise above their present conditions. These people are ambitious and with the right presence of mind have the potential to make the impossible POSSIBLE.
We can rightfully justify these character traits as being that of an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is witty and ambitious. And talking of extraordinary ambition, how can we forget about India’s vaccine king Dr Cyrus Poonawalla?
Born in a family of horse breeders, Poonawalla had 2 inclinations in life, i.e. horse racing and creating affordable vaccines. I think both interests are admirable, albeit one more than the other.
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About Dr Cyrus Poonawalla
Poonawalla is an Indian Billionaire Businessman who made major strides in the field of medicine. He is the chairman and managing director of the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, which includes the Serum Institute of India, an Indian biotech company that is the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world.
According to Forbes, he has five times his wealth in a decade. In 2021 alone, he was ranked number 5 on Fortunes’ India rich list with a net worth of $19 billion.
Cyrus Poonawalla Horoscope
| Date of Birth | 11 May 1941 (81 Years) |
| Place of Birth | Pune, India |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Designation | Founder of Serum Institute of India |
Cyrus Poonawalla’s net worth
Cyrus saw a rapid increase in his wealth after the world went to complete lockdown due to Covid. In 2021 alone, he was ranked number 5 on Fortunes’ India rich list with a net worth of $19 billion
Early life and education
Cyrus Poonawalla was born in Pune, India in 1941 to his father Soli A. Poonawala. His family was essentially into horse breeding and growing up Cyrus had a huge fascination for horses.
Poonawalla went to Bishop School and later graduated from Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, the University of Pune in 1966.
After completing his graduation, Poonawalla joined his family business but soon realized that the said job had no future in India. So, he pivoted his interests. He experimented with building high-end cars and built a prototype of a sports car modelled after D-type Jaguar. For whatever reason, he dropped the idea and focused on producing products that will help the country.
Career trajectory
In 1966 Poonawalla founded the Serum Institution to derive therapeutic serum from horse blood. Within two years, Serum launched its first therapeutic tetanus serum and started producing anti-tetanus vaccines.
In 1974, the institute started making the DTP vaccine, which is known to protect children from diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. Year-on-year they started diversifying and making more vaccines for various purposes. And soon they became the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers, catering to 150 countries, including America and European countries. Today, the Serum Institution owns about 60 per cent market share in the global vaccine manufacturing segment.
Personal Life
Cyrus Poonawalla was married to Villoo Poonawalla (now dead). The couple has a son Adar Poonawalla, who is now the CEO of the Poonawalla Group.
Awards & Accolades
Poonawalla was accredited with prestigious awards like Padma Shri (2005) and Padma Bhushan in the year 2022 for his contribution to the production of vaccines during COVID-19.
Lessons
Poonawalla isn’t called the ‘Vaccine king of India’ for no reason. When he entered the market, no one else was ready to take the challenge of making domestic vaccines. India had to outsource these vaccines at higher costs, which meant a lot of people silently suffered due to a shortage of vaccines. Poonawalla identified the problem and took a pledge to change the system.
This shows we have got to learn a lot from the man who didn’t lose hope. Looking at his principles, we can unearth several golden lessons. Here are the top 2 life lessons that we can learn from Cyrus Poonawalla, presented to you by Business strategist Hirav Shah:
Have a dependable role model:
Poonawalla has always spoken highly of his role model Bill Gates. Greatly inspired by the principles of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Poonawalla says, “He is the only person I have known who is retired and is spending his full time for the cause of saving children and improving their general well-being. This is very rare. Actually, this is the job of the health ministries of 140 countries. But it is because of his initiative that the entire global fund has now swelled to help eradicate all these diseases including polio, measles and so many others.”
True to his words, Poonawalla embarked on a quest to solve these problems on his own. And in his own way, he did eradicate a huge problem in India. Now you can avail of certain vaccines for a meagre sum of Rs 5 and this says something of Poonawalla’s conviction.
Do what your heart says:
Poonawalla belonged to a wealthy family. He could have easily chosen a comfortable career or invested his time in his family business. But he chose to do something worthwhile for the country. When he and his partner founded Serum Institution, they had no prior expertise in developing vaccines. However, they persevered and figured their way out. Today, the Serum Institute of India is worth around USD 11.5 billion.
Conclusion
Making wealth is nothing new. If you Google right now, you can name countless individuals making blind money without even thinking twice. The concept of charity isn’t new either. When you have a certain amount of wealth, you are bound to give back to people.
In this case, Poonawalla is an oddity. He could have made a lot of money by making cars as he initially did. But after talking to a farmer, he realized that making cars won’t help the country in any way. He chose to do this for the people and his country. This act of kindness screams generosity, humility and sheer patriotism-concludes eminent Astro strategist Hirav Shah.
About Hirav Shah
Hirav Shah is an eminent Business Astrologer and Entrepreneur, who can help you reach new levels of success in the coming year. Shah’s unique practice mixes the fundamentals of Astrology with Business Principles, thereby introducing you to a whole new dimension of affluence.
Hirav Shah has an astounding global presence with clients based across various business sectors. He is a big believer in taking massive action, has formulated strategies and made the right strategic bets based on the certainty of outcome to help some of the world’s most renowned brands.
From business setup and expansion to crisis and exit, he can give you a strong Astro based analysis on where to apply leverage and where to cut losses.
Image : cyruspoonawalla.com
