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Serum Institute of India

Overview

Serum Institute of India (SII) is an Indian biotechnology and biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra. It is one of the largest manufacturers of vaccines in the world by number of doses produced and sold, supplying immunobiologicals to public health programmes in India and to over a hundred countries through national governments, UNICEF, the Pan American Health Organization and the GAVI Alliance.

Key facts

Name Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.
Industry Biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, vaccines
Founder Cyrus S. Poonawalla
Founded 1966
Headquarters Pune, Maharashtra, India
Chairman Cyrus S. Poonawalla
Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla
Parent Poonawalla Group / Cyrus Poonawalla Group
Type Private limited company

Background

Serum Institute of India was founded in 1966 by Cyrus S. Poonawalla, a member of the Poonawalla family, which was already engaged in horse breeding and stud farm operations near Pune. The company was set up with the objective of producing affordable, life-saving immunobiologicals that were at the time being imported into India at high cost. Initial production drew on stud farm horses to manufacture tetanus antitoxin and other anti-sera, and the firm subsequently diversified into vaccines.

History and development

From the late 1960s and through the 1970s, SII expanded its product range to include vaccines against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (DPT), and later measles, mumps, rubella, polio and hepatitis B. The firm became a major supplier to India's Universal Immunization Programme.

During the 1990s and 2000s, SII increased exports significantly and became a prequalified supplier to the World Health Organization, which enabled it to bid for procurement contracts of UN agencies. Its measles, MR (measles–rubella) and meningococcal A vaccines have been used extensively in mass immunisation campaigns in Africa and Asia.

In 2012, SII acquired Bilthoven Biologicals, a Netherlands-based vaccine manufacturer, expanding its capabilities in inactivated polio and other vaccines. The company has also operated subsidiaries and partnerships, including Serum Life Sciences and Covovax-related collaborations.

COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SII manufactured the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine under the brand name Covishield through a licensing agreement with AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. Covishield became the most widely administered COVID-19 vaccine in India's national vaccination drive launched in January 2021 and was also exported under the Vaccine Maitri initiative and the COVAX facility. The institute additionally produced Covovax, the Indian version of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine.

Products

  • Polio vaccine (oral and inactivated)
  • Measles and measles–rubella (MR) vaccines
  • DTP and combination paediatric vaccines
  • Hepatitis B vaccine
  • BCG vaccine
  • Meningococcal A conjugate vaccine (MenAfriVac, in collaboration with PATH)
  • Influenza vaccines
  • Rabies vaccine and anti-sera
  • Covishield and Covovax (COVID-19 vaccines)

Significance

Serum Institute of India is widely regarded as a cornerstone of global vaccine supply, particularly for low- and middle-income countries. By offering WHO-prequalified vaccines at low per-dose prices, the company has played a substantial role in expanding routine immunisation coverage worldwide. It has been central to several large-scale public health interventions, including measles and rubella elimination campaigns, the rollout of MenAfriVac across the African meningitis belt, and the global response to COVID-19.

The Poonawalla family, through SII and associated ventures, has also become prominent in Indian philanthropy, business and public life.

References

  • Wikidata entity: Q3480001
  • World Health Organization, list of prequalified vaccines.
  • Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India — Universal Immunization Programme documentation.