Early Life
Habil Khorakiwala was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1942 into a Dawoodi Bohra family. His father, Fakhruddin T. Khorakiwala, founded India's first departmental store, Akbarallys. Habil's early education took place in Mumbai, and he later pursued a degree in pharmacy from L.M. College in Ahmedabad. He furthered his education with a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Science from Purdue University, USA, and an Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.
Rise to Success
In 1967, Habil Khorakiwala took over his father's Worli Chemical Works, a small firm at the time. Under his leadership, the company was transformed into Wockhardt, a prominent name in the pharmaceutical industry. Wockhardt expanded significantly through strategic acquisitions and a focus on research and development. Wockhardt has manufacturing facilities across India, the UK, Ireland, France, and the US. His leadership resulted in Wockhardt emerging as a leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology conglomerate, driven by research and strategic thinking on a global scale.
Key Business Strategies
Khorakiwala's business strategies centered on innovation, research, and strategic acquisitions. The company focused on developing generic drugs, biopharmaceuticals, and vaccines. Wockhardt was the first company outside the US and Europe to manufacture recombinant human insulin. The company has also ventured into biotechnology, launching notable products like PROXYVON and BIOVAC-B. Furthermore, under his leadership, Wockhardt has been a strong advocate for 'Customer Focused' operations, which has contributed to its growth.
Philanthropy
Khorakiwala established the Wockhardt Foundation, which has impacted millions of lives through various medical and social programs. His commitment extends to providing healthcare access to underserved communities through mobile health clinics.