Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, founder of the Serum Institute of India (SII), has received multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2024, including recognition from the IBLA and CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards. These awards celebrate his decades-long dedication to global health, particularly his work in making life-saving vaccines affordable and accessible worldwide.

Founded in 1966 with the vision of ensuring healthy childhoods at affordable prices, SII has become the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, producing over 1.3 billion doses annually and reaching an estimated 65% of the world’s children. Dr. Poonawalla’s focus on quality and innovation has led to accreditations with global organizations like the WHO and collaborations with international agencies such as PATH and NIH to develop vaccines against various diseases, including Meningococcal A, H1N1 Influenza, Rotavirus, and Coronavirus. His efforts have made India self-sufficient in Tetanus Anti-toxin and Anti-snake Venom serum, and he has played a critical role in national immunization programs. For his contributions, he has been honored with the Padma Shri (2005) and Padma Bhushan (2022).

Furthering its commitment to global health, SII has recently entered into two significant licensing and manufacturing agreements:

• Mpox Vaccine with Bavarian Nordic: SII has partnered with Bavarian Nordic to manufacture and distribute its MVA-BN mpox vaccine, increasing global manufacturing capacity and expanding access to vulnerable populations, particularly in the Indian market.
• Chikungunya Vaccine with Valneva: SII has also partnered with Valneva to manufacture and distribute its single-shot chikungunya vaccine in Asia, addressing a critical public health need, especially in India, which is currently experiencing a severe outbreak. This collaboration is supported by CEPI and the EU.

These partnerships underscore SII’s ongoing mission to provide high-quality, affordable vaccines worldwide and address pressing public health needs through collaboration and innovation.