Dr. Ashish Sahai’s Journey: From an Engineer to a Vaccine Manufacturer

About Dr. Ashish Sahai

Dr. Ashish Sahai is the esteemed Head of the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by the number of produced doses. Under his dynamic leadership, the Institute was one of the major global suppliers of vaccines during COVID-19. Dr. Ashish is a dedicated researcher and innovator with 20+ years of experience in biotechnology and vaccine development. He is known for his expertise in immunology, his strategic thinking and his relentless commitment to making affordable vaccines, especially for low-income countries.

Mr. Ravindra: Welcome, Dr. Ashish Sahai. Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to interview you. In the pharmaceutical industry, you are very well known, and for a good cause. I am excited to interview you for our magazine, Pharma Now.

Dr. Ashish: Thank you, Ravindra.

Mr. Ravindra: Given your expertise and experience in the pharmaceutical industry, I am sure this interview will guide our audience and upcoming generations who wish to contribute to the pharmaceutical industry. But before we get to that, I wanted to ask you a question a lot of people have: You graduated as an engineer, but then switched to pharma. Could you share why you decided on this sudden change?

Dr. Ashish: As you know, life is very complex for each individual, and your destiny drives you from one field to the other. I wanted to do chemical engineering. But, as you know, when you try for an IIT, whatever marks you have, you are pushed into that field. So, I graduated from IIT Kharagpur as a chemical engineer. My education at IIT Kharagpur inspired me to go to the United States and do something better. 

When I came back, I joined the Department of Biotechnology in the Government of India. At that time, the Department of Biotechnology wanted to implement the polio vaccine, so they pushed us into the polio vaccine. At the time, we couldn't even spell polio properly, right? But only because we didn’t have that education. So, we were supposed to be trained on how to produce the polio vaccine. A few of us were integrated into a long-term project by the Rajiv Gandhi Government, and they transferred us to Moscow.

Mr. Ravindra: Oh, that is interesting. Could you tell us more about this?

Dr. Ashish: This was between 1989 and 1991. At that time, it was the USSR and not Russia. When we went there, we had nothing to eat, it was cold, and we didn't know the language well. But somehow, we were intelligent enough to learn and understand the polio vaccine technology, and armed with that knowledge, we came back. Then, we started working on the polio vaccine in India because polio eradication was the main goal, and we did a good job. Obviously, you are aware that polio has been eradicated from India but is still prevalent in a few countries, which have conflicts all the time. So, some cases are still there. Even today, we make polio vaccines at the SII. Today, the SII is one of the largest manufacturers of oral polio vaccine and injectable polio vaccine, and we supply these to many countries. 

When I joined the SII, I never joined because of the polio vaccine. But because I had a background in vaccines, I could join the Quality Assurance Department. Plus, I was trained in the regulatory aspects of quality assurance in the US, and I had good knowledge of those systems. But what happens in this industry is: the production people have one-up manship because they manufacture the product. They bring revenue in the industry. So, I always wanted to generate revenue by being a product lead.

Fortunately our owners, Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla and his son Dr. Adar Poonawalla, are great personalities, and they have a great vision. And so, they gave me this opportunity to head vaccine manufacturing.

Mr. Ravindra: Wow, this is a huge opportunity. Heading the development of vaccines means you have to take on all responsibilities. Does this mean you are in charge of complete vaccine manufacturing?

Dr. Ashish: No, I am in charge of only viral vaccine development. There are various other vaccine types. But, the viral vaccine has a very huge portfolio and the viral vaccine group is the backbone of the SII. When I was with the MMR group, there was a challenge because rabies vaccine production was low but there was a huge demand. So, I opted to make a rabies vaccine; I developed the whole process and got the clearance in 2017. Since 2018, we’ve started making rabies vaccines, and today, I’m the only WHO-approved manufacturer on the Earth. Today, the SII is a part of the United Against Rabies group in the WHO, which is quite an honour. I wish that the WHO goal of eradicating rabies by 2030 is fulfilled by the SII.

Mr. Ravindra: That is amazing! Sir, I genuinely hope you are able to achieve this goal. I’ve heard that rabies vaccine production is one of the most difficult areas. Can you shed more light on rabies vaccine production and how were you able to achieve this?

Dr. Ashish: That's God's will you know. Our knowledge on the subject and my people's hard work all played a role. Vaccine manufacturing is a team effort. If there is no team effort, you cannot make vaccines. We have beautiful teams at the SII. I would also add a thanks to Cyrus Poonawalla, he was also a philanthropist. He's a remarkable personality, but his son is much better, and that is why I call him Dr. Adar Poonawalla. He had the vision to make the COVID vaccine and save the world. The people forget that his contribution to this industry has been the biggest contribution a vaccine manufacturer could ever give. So, while his father was amazing, Dr. Adar Poonawalla did something nobody else on the earth could. And fortunately, God gave him that opportunity, and we, as scientists, were able to help him out.

Coming back to rabies vaccine manufacturing. Rabies vaccine manufacturing is complex because it involves a lot of different technologies upstream and downstream. Many vaccines have very complex upstream processes but simpler downstream processes, which is not complex technology. There are many that have simple upstream processes but very complex downstream processes. On the other hand, the rabies vaccine has complex upstream, downstream and inactivation processes. These things add a lot of complexity to the entire manufacturing, and that is why rabies vaccine manufacturing is very low in the world. 

I’m not denying that many other vaccines also have lots of complexities. But, the rabies vaccine has a lot of complexity, and we were able to overcome them. We started the facility where we could make 2 million units of vaccines. When we got to know that the demand was much more, in the next year, we transformed the facility to 6 million units, then to 8 and 12 million units. Today, we can manufacture 18 million units, and some day, we plan to build a new facility where we produce 30 millions units of vaccine.

Mr. Ravindra: You’ve disclosed some large numbers, Dr. Ashish. But, what is the actual demand? Is the total demand much higher?

Dr. Ashish: The total demand is around 50 million units. Which is amazing, yes. There is a huge demand but there are very few manufacturers. India has 2 – 3 at max – manufacturers, and none of them are WHO-approved. The SII is the only WHO-approved manufacturer.



Mr. Ravindra: Wow, that is interesting. How do you build such facilities from an engineering point of view? Because it must be complex to create such facilities that have the right equipment and set up and upskilling everything?

Dr. Ashish: This opportunity was given to us by the management. Among our seniors is one very important person, whom I consider to be the real backbone of the SII: Dr. Rajiv Dere. He’s 70 years old but has so much passion and drive that he inspires you. Many people get inspiration from such beautiful people, at the SII we have many inspirational people: the owners to Dr. Adar Poonawalla to Dr. Dere. These passionate people have built the SII and made it the number one biotech industry in the world today, and many people do not understand this. So, the SII has always been a very low-key entity. 

But COVID-19 transformed us. We had the expertise. We had the manpower. We had a dedicated group. So, we were able to achieve many successes, and we believe that, in the future, we may also achieve more success.

Mr. Ravindra: Working with inspirational people definitely encourages you to transform. Speaking of transformation, you also talk a lot about digital transformation and the introduction of new technologies. Has digital transformation helped you scale-up manufacturing at the SII? 

Dr. Ashish: Yes, I am not denying it, but that may not be the only reason. Interestingly, AstraZeneca also could not upscale manufacturing, we were the only ones who could, and we told them how to upscale it.

Mr. Ravindra: This is commendable. I’m sure this feat of the SII is a very nice case study for people to study. Why do you think you were able to achieve it while others couldn’t?

Dr. Ashish: Yes, it is definitely a very very nice case study. I think we could achieve it because we have very knowledgeable scientists who put in a lot of effort and all of us got this opportunity to do it. One needs to be passionate and dedicated. For example, on the day I started manufacturing the rabies vaccine, I thought: I will be the largest, best-quality rabies vaccine manufacturer in the world. That was my passion.

Mr. Ravindra: Sir, I think everyone will agree: you’ve achieved it swimmingly. Achieving this goal requires a lot of passion, I’m sure, but what else does it require?

Dr. Ashish: First, you need to have a passion. Then, you need a lot of dedication and sacrifice. Fortunately, the SII has a lot of people who have both. We have a lot of good leaders and a lot of good higher-ups who you can look up to for solutions. Whenever we make something, we know that there is somebody who will help us if we have problems.

Let me tell you a small story about an incident that happened very recently. My boss, Dr. Rajiv Dere, took voluntary retirement but continued to work for the SII. His wife was in the hospital, and I had to have a very important collaboration with one of the companies. So, I called him and said, “Sir, I want you to be a part of it.” He said, “At the particular time you have selected, my wife may be getting discharged, and I may be putting her in an ambulance, so let's see whether I can join it. But you take the lead.” So, I took the zoom call. Suddenly, I saw that he's coming to join in, and I could hear that his wife was getting into the ambulance. But, he took the time to talk to us and participate. This is passion.

Mr. Ravindra: This is passion for sure, sheer passion. His commitment to the SII is esteemed. It’s such people that you can learn a lot from. I'm sure you’ve encountered several such people in the industry.

Dr. Ashish: Yes, you learn from such people and that is what is required in this industry. In any industry, your bosses should make you look up to them and teach you how to work. If that is missing, if your interest is only to make money, how will you rise up? How do you attract the best from the industry? Sacrifice is something that catapults you to success. This is the thing I want to teach young children: You don't look for success. Success will come.

Mr. Ravindra: I agree with this. I think a lot of children and freshers might understand what you’re saying. So, do you have faith in our upcoming generation?

Dr. Ashish: Yes, they are beautiful people. Fortunately, I feel a lot of children have a vision. They want to do the best in life. This generation doesn't think that I may not be able to, which is probably what many in my generation felt. Today, everyone wants to give the best to their kids. I mean, even people who earn very less want to make their children engineers, doctors and scientists. So obviously, the next generation will have a lot of people who will shine and that is why you see all around the world the best of the people are Indian.

Mr. Ravindra: Yes, most CEOs, most CTOs and most researchers are Indians. I think this says a lot about the work culture we foster here in India. It shows how our children think and how our professionals behave.

Dr. Ashish: Indians have a passion for work. They never had the passion to do wrong things. When I look at the people in the top positions, I feel they are there because they had passion, and they served and sacrificed. If you have a passion to sacrifice for, success will come to you. When success comes, money will come. If you run after money, nothing will come, it's a mirage. This is what I believe, and I'm quite happy that my belief system has worked. And a good thing is that my team also believes in this philosophy. It is very important that your team must believe in you. My team believes in me, believes in my philosophy. We think: let us not wait for money, let us wait for product success, and that is what has transformed the SII to what it is today. The owners have the biggest contribution. If Dr. Adar Poonawalla had not invested in COVID-19 vaccine development, we would not be what we are today.

Mr. Ravindra: I can only imagine how huge an investment it was. But, this investment has had a huge impact on the world. If I remember correctly, every third child in the world is taking SII’s vaccine. Is that correct?

Dr. Ashish: Yes, it was a huge investment. But, they also had that vision. In my opinion, any doctorate in this world in biological sciences is nothing compared to Dr. Adar Poonawalla’s vision. And, to answer your question, I would say: Today, every second child may be taking SII’s vaccine. But, it is more than that. During COVID-19, every individual most probably took SII’s vaccine.

Mr. Ravindra: This is a proud moment for India. Thank you very much for bringing India to his huge pedestal. Sir, could you give a final message for professionals who are looking up to you and Dr. Poonawalla, those that are building careers in the pharmaceutical space.

Dr. Ashish: I want to tell every individual: you must know your basics well. Fundamentals are very important because unless you know them, you're not a good scientist. So, learn the technology in depth, understand how it is going to transform mankind, and then start working on it. When you start, put all your heart into it. You should not only look for short-term goals but also the long-term goals of serving. Don't look at what you gain from it. Look at how you can help mankind. How are you, your vaccine, or something you make going to save somebody? It's going to save somebody's child, it’s going to save some individual. This should give you more happiness, and this is what you should focus on instead of monetary gains.

Mr. Ravindra: That was very well said, sir. I'm sure this will inspire millions of children and professionals. I can sum up your philosophy in three words: Passion, dedication and commitment. Please correct me if I’m wrong

Dr. Ashish: You’re right. There are three words that are important.

Mr. Ravindra: Excellent. I’m sure many will receive your message and act on it. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. It has been a pleasure speaking with you.