Who is Adar Poonawalla who may acquire RCB ahead of IPL 2026?

Only a few Indian businessmen have the financial strength to become the new owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Without any doubt, Adar Poonawalla is one of them. It is heavily reported that the Indian business has the desire to buy the popular franchise. But who is Adar Poonawalla?

Who is Adar Poonawalla?

Adar Poonawalla is a globally famed Indian businessmanwho is mostly known as the CEO of the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India (SII). During the Covid-19 pandemic, the company was making headlines because of producing Covid-19 vaccines. COVISHIELD is a Covid-19 vaccine that is produced by Poonawalla's company. 

Apart from SII, Poonawalla is also the chairman of Poonawalla Fincorp, a board member of the GAVI Alliance, and has spearheaded philanthropic initiatives like the Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative in Pune. 

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Adar Poonawalla Net Worth

According to a report published on indiannetworth.in, "As of 2025, Adar Poonawalla’s estimated net worth is around $7.5 billion." And to buy the IPL franchise, he may have to spend around $1-1.2 billion, as per recent claims. 

Adar Poonawalla Career Highlights

The Pune-born, who studied at the University of Westminster in London, became CEO in 2011, succeeding his father, Cyrus Poonawalla. Under his leadership, the company expanded globally, exporting vaccines to over 170 countries. As it is mentioned above, apart from this business, he has other income sources as well. 

Along with the cricketers, the Indian Premier League is an ideal stage for companies to promote their brands. It can be a dream for many well-established, internationally recognized companies to showcase their brand name in the cash-rich league. After the disclosure arrived in the public domain, including various social media platforms, it is now believed that the current owner of RCB has initiated the process to sell the franchise, which has a huge and loyal fan base.