Been a Businessman before, this year made me turn into an entrepreneur: Adar Poonawalla at ET Awards 2020

It is indeed a great honour and privilege for me to be recognised for my hard work and entrepreneurship I never dreamt a year ago, that I would have to raise capital, take risks and face huge uncertainty and ramp-up, just like an entrepreneur. After being a businessman for 20 years I did not think that I would have to face these enormous challenges. But it is indeed overwhelming that we were able to perform and deliver the vaccines to the world.

I would like to thank the Economic Times and the jury that deemed me worthy for this honour, I will never forget this. I would also thank so many people, including the government of India, so many ministries, the bureaucrats who worked tirelessly with the private sector to remove hurdles and time taken to achieve this. I really hope this momentum continues, that is my only plea and request, even after the pandemic is over.

I would like to thank my father, employees, scientists, the serum institute staff, my wife, my children who tolerated my long working hours and have guided me and supported me. Lastly, I would like to dedicate the award to my late mother who passed away ten years ago. I am here, we are all here thanks to her blessings and her looking down upon us from heaven. She indeed would have been really proud today of what Serum Institute and I have managed to achieve. I would like to dedicate this award to her memory. Once again thanks to the jury, Economic Times, Bennett Coleman and the Jain family for thinking me worthy of this great honour. Thank you so much.