In 1966, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, a young veterinarian from Pune, had a bold vision — to make vaccines affordable and accessible for every Indian child. With just ₹5,000 from family savings and a rented lab in his backyard, he founded the Serum Institute of India, which would one day become the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer.

At the time, India was battling polio and measles epidemics, and most vaccines were imported at high prices. Driven by necessity and compassion, Dr. Poonawalla used basic laboratory tools and local research collaborations to develop low-cost polio vaccines. Early batches were tested in local communities, and soon, the government began purchasing them for public immunization programs.

Unlike most pharmaceutical ventures that depend heavily on foreign funding or partnerships, Serum’s early growth was entirely self-funded. The institute reinvested every rupee earned into R&D, infrastructure, and scaling production, allowing it to expand without compromising affordability. By the 1980s, Serum Institute was supplying essential vaccines across India and parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.

By the year 2000, Serum supplied over 50% of India’s vaccine requirements, from DTP and tetanus to measles and hepatitis B, solidifying its place as a cornerstone of global public health.

The next phase of expansion came under Adar Poonawalla, who took over as CEO in 2011. Under his leadership, Serum transformed into a global biotech powerhouse, exporting to 170 countries and producing over 1.5 billion doses annually. The company’s state-of-the-art Pune campus became a hub of vaccine innovation, producing life-saving doses for diseases like HPV, influenza, and COVID-19.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Serum Institute rose to global prominence for manufacturing Covishield, the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, at scale and speed. It became a lifeline not only for India but also for dozens of developing nations through the COVAX initiative, reaffirming its mission of equitable access to healthcare.

As of 2025, the Serum Institute of India stands valued at a staggering ₹2.11 lakh crore, according to the Hurun Global Rich List — making it India’s highest-valued bootstrapped company and one of the world’s most influential vaccine manufacturers.

What sets Serum apart is its mission-first approach. From its early days in a backyard lab to becoming a global vaccine leader, the company’s focus has remained consistent: saving lives through innovation and accessibility. Despite its scale, Serum continues to operate without venture capital, maintaining full family ownership — a rare feat in modern biotech.

Today, the Poonawalla legacy represents the power of science, persistence, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship. From creating low-cost vaccines for Indian children to immunizing billions worldwide, Serum’s journey is a testament to how humble beginnings can rewrite global health history.

As the world enters a new era of biotech innovation, Serum Institute’s story stands as India’s proudest example of homegrown scientific excellence meeting humanitarian ambition — proving that even a backyard lab can change the course of global health forever.