Early Life and Education
Yusuf Hamied was born in Vilnius, Lithuania (then Poland), on July 25, 1936. He was raised in Mumbai, India. His father, Khwaja Abdul Hamied, founded Cipla, and his mother, Luba Derczanska, was a Russophone Lithuanian Jew. Hamied attended the Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai before pursuing higher education. He moved to England in 1954 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry in 1957, followed by a PhD from Christ's College, Cambridge in 1960.
Rise to Success and Career
After completing his doctorate, Hamied joined Cipla, the pharmaceutical company founded by his father, in 1960. He became the chairman of Cipla in 1989. Hamied is best known for challenging large Western pharmaceutical companies by providing generic AIDS drugs and treatments for other ailments primarily affecting people in poor countries. His efforts have been pivotal in eradicating AIDS in the developing world and ensuring access to life-saving medicines regardless of financial capabilities. His contributions include the development of multi-drug combination pills for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, asthma, and other ailments. He has been a major benefactor to Cambridge and in 2009 the Yusuf Hamied Centre was opened at Christ's College. In 2020, it was announced that Hamied had made a substantial donation to Cambridge University's chemistry department, which was subsequently renamed the Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry until 2050.
Key Business Strategies
Hamied's leadership at Cipla was marked by strategic decisions that reinforced the company's position as a leading generics manufacturer. He focused on producing high-quality generics at low costs, emphasizing accessibility over high-margin pricing. One of the most notable achievements during his leadership has been Cipla's pioneering role in making life-saving medications more accessible, especially in the context of HIV/AIDS treatment.
Philanthropy
Yusuf Hamied is known for his philanthropic endeavors and his commitment to social causes. He has made significant contributions to various educational and research institutions, including the Yusuf Hamied Centre at Christ's College, Cambridge, and the state-of-the-art chemistry facility at IISER Pune.