On the surface and by that extension on social media, all's well with Serum Institute of India's Adar Poonawalla. "Had an excellent meeting with all our partners & stakeholders in the U.K. Meanwhile, pleased to state that Covishield's production is in full swing in Pune. I look forward to reviewing operations upon my return in a few days," he tweeted a few days after taking off to the U.K. But a little while before this, his interview given to The Times of London, had already been reduced to a series of quotable quotes.
The chief executive officer of the SII was among the rich and the wealthy who flew to Britain just before it banned travellers from India. Poonawalla, who recently received Y-level security from the Government, said that he planned an extended stay because of threats from chief ministers and several other corporate leaders in the power corridors.
Threat would an understatement
"Threat would be an understatement. The level of expectation and aggression is really unprecedented," he said in the interview calling the expectations overwhelming. "Everyone feels they should get the vaccine. They can't understand why anyone else should get it before them." He also said that the calls start off cordially but turn aggressive when he told them that they couldn't jump the queue.
On not wanting to go back to India
Poonawalla also said that he did not wish to go back to India for some time, because he did not want to be in a situation where he was guessing as to what would those refusals escalate into. "They are saying if you don't give us the vaccine it's not going to be good...It's not foul language. It's the tone. It's the implication of what they might do if I don't comply. It's taking control. It's coming over and basically surrounding the place and not letting us do anything unless we give in to their demands."
He added, "Everything falls on my shoulders but I can't do it alone. I don't want to be in a situation where you are just trying to do your job, and just because you can't supply the needs of X, Y or Z you really don't want to guess what they are going to do."
The plumed feathers and capes turned into scanners and criticism
There is no denying that the 40-year-old billionaire has come under increasingly intense pressure. Many called him a 'profiteer' for not supplying vaccines at cost to state governments. Somewhere there was even a ruckus about nationalising his company.
In March, the British media also widely reported his renting a property in Mayfair for about 50,000 pounds a week. He has often said in interviews about making London his second home. While refusing to divulge the details, he also said that the trip to Britain was part business as the company was looking at starting vaccine production outside India. That will snowball into another storm on social media.
