10 Facts About Lila Poonawalla

Lila Poonawalla was awarded the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1989,.

Lila Poonawalla, nee Lila Thadani, was born on 16 September 1944 in Hyderabad in the Sindh region in British India as one of the five children in a Sindhi family.

Lila Poonawalla lost her father when she was three years old and, during the partition of India, her family moved to India as refugees to settle in Pune.

Lila Poonawalla did her early education in Pune after which she graduated in mechanical engineering with first class from the Government College of Engineering under the University of Pune in 1967.

Lila Poonawalla started her career as an apprentice at Ruston and Hornsby where she met with her future husband, Firoz Poonawalla, who was from a Dawoodi Bohra family and was working in the same company.

Lila Poonawalla couple have no children and live in Pune where Firoz Lila Poonawalla has based his floriculture export business.

Lila Poonawalla has served as a member of the executive council of the Confederation of Indian Industry and has held the chair of the Food Task Force of the association.

Lila Poonawalla was the founder chairperson of the Indo-Swiss Vocational Training Trust and was involved in the establishment of the International Biotech Park in Pune as a member of the sub group on conceptualization.

Lila Poonawalla is a former member of the advisory committee of the Life Insurance Corporation of India.

Lila Poonawalla has been awarded several minor and major awards, including two State Awards such as the civilian honour of Padma Shri from the Government of India in 1989.