Adar Poonawalla: THE TIMES original interview

[reality]

Adar Poonawalla: ‘Aggression over Covid vaccines is overwhelming . . . Everyone expects to get theirs first’

India’s vaccines supremo hints that he may start producing in Britain and tells Martin Fletcher about threatening calls from the rich and powerful

The phone calls are the worst thing, says Adar Poonawalla, the biggest manufacturer of vaccines in the world. They are incessant and very menacing, adds the man whose Serum Institute is producing 90 per cent of India’s Covid-19 vaccines at a time when the pandemic is rampaging through the second most populous country on Earth, causing fear, panic and death on an appalling scale.

The calls come from some of the most powerful men in India. They come from the chief ministers of Indian states, heads of business conglomerates and others demanding instant supplies of Covishield, as the AstraZeneca vaccine is known in India. “ ‘Threats’ is an understatement,” Poonawalla says. “The level of expectation and aggression is really unprecedented. It’s overwhelming. Everyone feels they should get the vaccine. They can't understand why anyone else should get it before them," Poonawalla said in the interview.

Explaining the intimidatory undertones of the calls, Poonawalla says "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 coming over and basically surrounding the place and not letting us do anything unless we give in to their demands."

“I'm staying here (London) an extended time because I don't want to go back to that situation. 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,” he said.

Poonawalla indicated in the interview that his move to London is also linked to business plans to expand vaccine manufacturing to countries outside India, which may include the likes of the UK.

“There's going to be an announcement in the next few days,” he said, when asked about Britain as one of the production bases outside India.

[reality]

asalu PM gadu em peekuthunnadu... its a national security and safety matter (pandemic)

Thannuku chavandi.. ani CMs pi vadilesi vadu em peekuthunnattu?

Asalu Covishield produce avuthundha inka?

[reality]

Veedu India ki hand ichhadu... blame CMs meedha thosthunnadu... PM gadi tho laloochi padi..

[Pitta]

[8pm]

26 minutes ago, reality said:

asalu PM gadu em peekuthunnadu... its a national security and safety matter (pandemic)

Thannuku chavandi.. ani CMs pi vadilesi vadu em peekuthunnattu?

Asalu Covishield produce avuthundha inka?

veeedi story choostunte doubt kodutondi. mana cms ki prajala meeda antha prema untunda??

edho theda kodutondi

[reality]

Just now, 8pm said:

veeedi story choostunte doubt kodutondi. mana cms ki prajala meeda antha prema untunda??

edho theda kodutondi

Inka doubt aa

bhaktha gallu “opposition em chethundhi” ani adiginattu... eedu CMs ni laguthunnadu...

MoShoe galla puppet show lekka undhi idhi..

 

[reality]

24 minutes ago, Pitta said:

[8pm]

2 hours ago, reality said:

Inka doubt aa

bhaktha gallu “opposition em chethundhi” ani adiginattu... eedu CMs ni laguthunnadu...

MoShoe galla puppet show lekka undhi idhi..

 

Ee opposition nayallani +*#*}£#£#’f

[jawaani_jaaneman]

Ie thread la vunnara ‘The Agenda’ batch..

 

[ring_master]

3 hours ago, reality said:

Veedu India ki hand ichhadu... blame CMs meedha thosthunnadu... PM gadi tho laloochi padi..

Ee poonawalla gaadini anadaniki Em ledu.. he’s just making himself safe 

[rightwar]

3 hours ago, reality said:

Veedu India ki hand ichhadu... blame CMs meedha thosthunnadu... PM gadi tho laloochi padi..

most shameless ppl in this world are the ones trying to get pilitical mileage out of everything in this pandemic. shame on you man

[Telugodura456]

He just escaped india when it needs him the most because he is afraid of corona himself possibly. All the reasons he is giving is bunk and fraud - CMs threaten him with murder? WHy is DrKrishna Ella staying then ?

[Telugodura456]

 

[Anta Assamey]

[reality]

1 hour ago, rightwar said:

most shameless ppl in this world are the ones trying to get pilitical mileage out of everything in this pandemic. shame on you man

Calm down and stay on topic if you can.

Nee point nuvvu cheppu... na point nenu cheptha... blind ga support cheyadaniki undali shame... question cheyadaniki kadhu...