RECALLING how the industry used to face “hardships” in securing permissions and “harassment from bureaucrats” 50 years ago, Chairman of the city-based vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII), Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, on Friday hailed the Modi Government saying that red-tapism and licence raj have come down under its rule.

 

He also said that in the past, he had to “fall at the feet” of bureaucrats and drug controllers in order to get permissions, and added that the situation has changed now, which resulted in quick launch of SII’s COVID-19 vaccine - Covishield.

Poonawalla was speaking at the event where he received the Lokmanyat Tilak National Award instituted by the Lokmanya Tilak Trust here. “SII was founded in 1966 the morning after my marriage with Villoo, my dear late wife, to whom I dedicate this award. Fifty years ago, the industry had to face hardships in getting basic facilities like power, water, in getting permissions from bureaucrats. It had to face harassment from bureaucrats...I was not supposed to say this,” he said. SII chairman Dr Cyrus Poonawalla said he was not in favour of administering two different coronavirus vaccines for better efficacy. “I am against the mixing of two different vaccines. There is no need to mix them,” he said. “Transport and communication were also great problems and challenges that were faced by my staff and fellow directors...It was a long journey and a very painful one, which has now become very rewarding. I had to fall at the feet of bureaucrats, etc, to get permissions. But I must stress that difficulties are much reduced now under the Modi Government,” he said.