Natasha Poonawalla

Some Lesser Known Facts About Natasha Poonawalla

• Natasha is the Executive Director of the ‘Serum Institute of India’ (one of the largest vaccine manufacturing companies in the world), and Chairperson of the Villoo Poonawalla Foundation.

• She is also the Director of the organizations- ‘Poonawalla Science Park’ in the Netherlands, and ‘Villoo Poonawalla Racing and Breeding Pvt Ltd.’

• During her graduation in Pune University, she attended summer programs at Cornell, Stanford and Harvard Universities in the United States.

• She is very enthusiastic about fashion and likes to wear new trends. 

• Natasha met Adar first time at Vijay Mallya’s New Year Eve party in Goa.

• Her husband Adar is the son of Dr Cyrus Poonawala who is the founder and Chairperson of Poonawala Group. 

• According to Natasha, when she got married, she had no idea about the ways of handling the business of a biopharma company, so, initially, she decided to work as an intern in different departments of the organization.

• As per the opinion of Natasha, her late mother-in-law Villoo was the silent power, and strength behind the whole family’s success.

• After the death of her mother-in-law, she, along with her husband, started a foundation- ‘Adar Poonawalla Clean City.’

• With her aim to convert Pune into a model city, she installed (investing ₹10 crore) two pilot plants with a capacity to process four million litres water daily, which became possible with the advanced membrane technology to treat sewage water from rivers and convert it into the pure drinkable water.

• She started five schools having 2,000 kids, and also established the nonprofit hospitals in Pune.

• In order to remain fit, she does many things like workout, pilates, and a quick swim.

• She strongly believes in the ancient Indian ways of eating.

• Roohi Jaikishan, Shweta Bachchan Nanda, and Kaajal Anand are her close friends.

• She is an avid traveller and doesn’t miss any fashion week or event.

• She loves flying, as per her opinion, at that time she can relax fully without phone and internet.

• She has a dream to open more educational institutions and health care centres instead of profit-making institutions.

• Her company ‘Serum Institute of India’ sells vaccines at low rates for needy people.

• Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation are the partners in her social welfare causes.

• According to Forbes Magazine’s Richest Billionaire List 2015, her father-in-law Dr Poonawalla is India’s 11th richest person, and the 208th richest individual worldwide. 

• Her husband Adar has decided to spend ₹100 crore from his personal funds to address garbages in his city Pune.

• She, along with her husband, started a biogas plant in Talegoan in Mawal Taluka (Pune), which has the capacity to process over three hundred tonnes of waste, making it the largest biogas plant in India. 

• Their clean initiative also includes taking discarded buses and renovating them to provide 3-4 toilets and 1 or 2 shower cubicles plus a waiting lounge for women at a nominal cost.

• Her husband’s father Cyrus Poonawalla has purchased an old maharaja’s mansion in Mumbai from the U.S. government for around $113 million dollars, which is (according to media) is the most expensive ever residential acquisition in the country.

• Here’s an interesting video about Natasha Poonawalla’s biography: