Meet Cyrus Poonawalla, Pune's richest man with a net worth of ₹2,04,300 crore

The ninth richest billionaire in the country, Poonawalla boasts a home worth ₹750 crore

Published on: Oct 27, 2024, 12:18:10 IST

By HT News Desk

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The ninth richest billionaire in the country and the richest man in Pune, Cyrus Poonawalla is the owner of the Serum Institute of India, one of the largest private pharmaceutical enterprises in India, reported Forbes India.

Dr.Cyrus Poonawalla, started out as the son of a horse breeder, and now is one of the wealthiest individuals in the country. In 1966, he founded the Serum Institute of India, which is well-known for its critical work during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the key vaccine manufacturers in the country.

Also Read: Adar Poonawalla’s Rising Sun Holdings buys 1.75-lakh square feet office space in Pune for ₹395 crore

The institute also produces 1.5 billion doses of vaccines for polio, the flu and measles annually, reported GQ India. He received a Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in the country in 2022, in recognition of his work in the creation and distribution of vaccines.

Also Read: Adar Poonawala on buying stake in Dharma productions: ‘My friend Karan Johar...’

In fact, the SII holds the title of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer for producing more vaccines than any other company globally. The company is now headed by Cyrus's son Adar Poonawalla who has expanded the family's business further into various fields.

According to the 2024 Hurun India Rich List, Cyrus Poonawalla as the chairman and managing director of the Cyrus Poonawalla Group, has accumulated wealth worth ₹2,89,900 crore, with the SII being worth ₹2,04,300 crore.

Also Read: Sharad Pawar proposes Bharat Ratna for Dr Poonawalla

Apart from the SII, he also holds major stakes in Poonawalla Fincorp, a non-banking financial company engaged in consumer and MSME financing, and The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Pune. In keeping with his father Soli Poonawalla's legacy, he also holds a massive farm that breeds prize-winning horses.

One of the prize jewels of his empire is his luxurious seaside mansion in Mumbai's Breach Candy areas which he acquired in 2015 from the United States government for ₹750 crore, making it one of the most expensive real estate deals in India.

Recently, his son Adar Poonawalla debuted into the film business by buying a 50 per cent stake in filmmaker Karan Johar's Dharma Productions for ₹1,000 crore.

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HT News Desk
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