The story behind the rise of Serum Institute, world's vaccine factory

Today, SII sells about 1.5 billion vaccine doses every year to 170 countries and is the largest producer of vaccines globally by number of doses

It all began from a small laboratory producing tetanus anti-toxin in a corner of a stud farm in a peri-urban locality, with an investment of $12,000 in 1967. That first small unit, founded by industrialist Cyrus Poonawalla in Hadapsar, which connects Pune to the erstwhile textile-mill town of Solapur, has today grown into the Serum Institute of India (SII) — a mammoth commanding 50 per cent of the global vaccine industry.

Earlier in the day, the subject expert committee (SEC) of the national drug regulator that is advising the Drug Controller General of India gave in-principle nod to SII for the