Privileged to be on illustrious list: SII's Poonawalla on Padma Bhushan

Serum Institute of India managing director Dr Cyrus S Poonawalla, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan on Tuesday, said it was a great privilege for him to be among a prestigious list of illustrious people who have contributed to the growth of the country.

The SII is the manufacturer of the Covishield vaccine against Covid-19 and its prowess has been acknowledged across the world as nations battle the pandemic since early 2020.

''It is a great privilege for me to be amongst a prestigious list of illustrious people who have contributed to the growth of our country. I would like to express my gratitude to the Government of India for this honour. Health is one of the strongest pillars of society, and I will continue to work towards making it equitable for all,'' said Poonawalla.

Besides, Poonawalla, Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech, which produced India's indigenous coronavirus vaccine Covaxin, were also awarded the Padma Bhushan.