Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer of Pune-based vaccine maker Serum Institute of India, hopes that tennis star Novak Djokovic will change his mind about coronavirus vaccines.
The unvaccinated tennis player has said that though he is not against vaccines, he will skip Grand Slam tournaments if compelled to take the jab.
Novak Djokovic, the world number one tennis player, had been disqualified from defending his Australian Open title in January. A federal court had turned down his plea challenging the Australian government's decision to cancel his visa for not being vaccinated. He was barred from entering Australia for three years.
On Thursday, Adar Poonawalla posted a video of him playing tennis, with a message for the Serbian champion.
“I respect your personal views on not getting vaccinated and love watching you play, but I hope you change your mind, Poonawalla tweeted. “In the meantime, the rest of us now might stand a chance at a Grand Slam.”
Poonawalla’s company, Serum Institute of India, is the world's largest vaccine manufacturer by number of doses produced and sold globally (more than 1.5 billion doses). The company manufactures vaccines against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, r-Hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella and other diseases.
It is also the manufacturer of Covishield -- one of the vaccines being used in India’s coronavirus inoculation drive.
Adar Poonawalla’s company, as well as the Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Bharat Biotech, which has produced Covaxin, have played a key role in India’s fight against the coronavirus crisis. They have also shipped vaccines to other countries.
To honour their contributions, the government has awarded the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian award, to Cyrus Poonawalla, the managing director of the Serum Institute of India, and Bharat Biotech bosses Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
