Foreign media attacked Indian vaccine-maker SII for challenging Western dominance, says Adar Poonawalla

Even as the Serum Institute of India was being praised in the country for being one of the first vaccine-makers to start providing jabs against Covid-19, the company was facing criticism from foreign media. SII's CEO Adar Poonawalla made the revelation during a conversation with Sanjiv Goenka, chairman, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group at All India Management Association's (AIMA) 7th National Leadership Conclave.

Adar Poonawalla was asked by Goenka how he dealt with overnight stardom as the Covishield vaccine received approval to become one of the first vaccines to be administered in India. The SII CEO said that while Indian media was fair, foreign media criticised him as it didn't suit the West that "an Indian company had the quality and capability of contributing globally in such an important matter".

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Adar Poonawalla said that he received praise and criticism in equal measure at the time, and it was a difficult phase for him. The CEO said that he would be happy to "slowly" fade out of the limelight now.

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