Inside Natasha Poonawalla’s world: Couture, purpose, and the power of personal style

This might be the largest production we have worked on to date, and who better to do it with than Natasha Poonawalla! When we first floated the idea of putting her on the cover, it was little more than a dream in my first year as editor. Now, in my third, I can proudly say we not only made it happen but did so with the legendary Norman Jean Roy behind the lens—a first for Bazaar India.

It isn’t easy to lock down Mrs Poonawalla—“Mrs P,” as her team fondly calls her, and so do we now. There are, I believe, two Natashas. One the world already knows: the fashion-forward tastemaker, the global trendsetter, the “Mrs Vaccine” who played a pivotal role on the world stage during the pandemic. And then there is the other Natasha, the one rarely glimpsed beyond headlines and red carpets. What intrigues me most about her is not only her extraordinary sense of style, but how she uses fashion as a language. Whether it’s the Met Gala, where she has appeared in everything—from custom Manish Malhotra to sculptural Iris van Herpen—or the Sánchez–Bezos wedding in Mallorca, there is always something deliberate, striking, and layered about what she wears, when she wears it, and how she wears it. “Fashion allows me to express contradictions and play with paradoxes—strength and softness, tradition and rebellion, seriousness and playfulness—all without saying a word,” she tells me.

When Natasha walked onto our set that morning, the mood was electric. We were all a little anxious, nail-biting even—how would one of the world’s most photographed women respond to a Bazaar India shoot? But she instantly set us at ease. Professional, almost like a seasoned model, open to every suggestion, never once dismissive of trying something new, yet always clear about what she wants. The energy was contagious. Power on set ran on a mix of matcha and Diet Coke, and what unfolded in front of Norman Jean Roy’s camera was more than a photo shoot; it was a glimpse into the icon that Natasha Poonawalla is.

During conversations, she is disarmingly candid. “At my core, I’m a seeker: of purpose, of connection, of beauty in all its forms. The glamour is an expression, not the essence,” she reflects. That essence, she explains, has evolved from her questioning days at the London School of Economics to the woman she is today—balancing vision with pragmatism.

That balance is perhaps most evident in her role at the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer. Natasha began there, not in a corner office but as an intern, an experience she describes as fundamental to her leadership philosophy. “I quickly realised leadership in vaccines isn’t about titles; it’s about accountability to billions of lives.” It is a statement that lands with weight, particularly after the pandemic, when the Institute supplied vaccines to more than 170 countries. Yet she resists the glorification of that moment, emphasising instead the responsibility that continues. “Purpose must outweigh ego, and impact must be measured by lives saved, not by recognition.”

Her impact, however, extends beyond the walls of the Serum Institute. Through the Villoo Poonawalla Foundation and her work on global platforms such as the British Asian Trust and the Poonawalla Science Park, Natasha has long championed education, clean water, and sanitation. “Business and compassion are not opposing forces; they’re complementary,” she says. “Impact is about the lives touched more than the headlines. We measure it through stories of change—a girl continuing her education, clean water flowing in a village. That’s the real currency.”

Fashion places Natasha at the centre of every cultural conversation. Natasha has become synonymous with India’s presence on international red carpets, her daring choices frequently drawing headlines. But unlike many who wear fashion as armour, she approaches it as expression. Her love affair began in childhood, with visits to local tailors in Pune with her mother and aunts. “The first designer store I visited with my parents in Paris was Pierre Cardin— it made a strong impression,” she recalls. But it was London that unlocked her full potential. “That was where I realised fashion is a vocabulary of your beliefs, personality, and worldview.”

That worldview is firmly anchored in Indian craftsmanship. “Even when I wear global couture, I carry Indian artistry in spirit and detail. India’s design vocabulary teaches the world about heritage, craftsmanship, and storytelling,” she says. Indeed, her wardrobe, over the years, has been a bridge between worlds: heritage textiles reimagined in contemporary silhouettes, traditional embroideries paired with avant-garde gowns. To her, advocacy and artistry are inseparable. “Personal style is about authenticity. Advocacy woven into that feels natural, not forced. Influence, I’m learning, lies in resonance more than volume.”

It’s easy to imagine that her life is a carousel of couture and boardrooms, but Natasha is quick to remind me of her anchor—family. Her children, she says, see her as “mama” first, unfiltered by titles or gowns. “My family is both my biggest critic and my biggest cheerleader. They keep me joyful, grounded, and honest.” Joy, she adds, often finds her in unscripted moments: “designing a corner of my home, dancing with my children, or learning something new.”

Yet there is no mistaking her ambition. Looking ahead, she speaks with equal passion about expanding her philanthropic work in clean energy and education, nurturing young leadership at Serum, and a personal design project that she describes as “storytelling in space.” When I ask what advice she would give her younger self, she doesn’t hesitate. “Trust your instincts more. Doubt yourself less. The world is vast, and your uniqueness is your greatest asset.” To young women everywhere, she adds: “Own your space, whether in a boardroom or a sari. Power lies in authenticity. Your voice matters most when it’s true to you.”

By the end of our day together, one truth crystallised: Natasha Poonawalla is both a mirror and a paradox—reflecting the world’s gaze, yet always seeking something deeper. She embodies the contradictions she celebrates: glamour and grit, luxury and legacy, couture and compassion. Her dream dinner guest list captures this duality perfectly: Coco Chanel, for fearless reinvention; Steve Jobs, for design philosophy; and Rumi, for timeless wisdom. She imagines serving an eclectic Indian menu plated in antique Italian silver, the evening soundtracked by music that is “soulful, yet alive”. It is both grounded and extravagant, serious and playful—just like Natasha herself.

For an industry and a generation looking for icons who are more than glossy surfaces, Natasha offers a blueprint. She is not simply the woman in the gown, but the mind and mission beneath it. And that is what makes her one of the most compelling faces of modern India: confident, creative, compassionate, globally relevant, yet deeply rooted.

Natasha is a reminder that fashion can be more than spectacle, that leadership can be more than titles, and that legacy can be stitched not just in gowns or buildings, but in lives touched. She is, as she tells me, still a seeker. And perhaps that search—the constant hunger for purpose, connection, and beauty—is the very thing that makes her an icon.

Editor: Rasna Bhasin (@rasnabhasin)
Digital Editor: Sonal Ved (@sonalved)
Photographer: Norman Jean Roy (@normanjeanroy)
Stylist: Ramona Tabita (@ramonatabita)
Cover Design: Mandeep Singh Khokhar (@mandy_khokhar19)
Make-up Artist: Nikki (@nikki_makeup)
Hair Artist: Luke Hersheson (@lukehersheson)
Editorial Coordinator: Shalini Kanojia (@shalinikanojia)
Production: Thea Charlesworth (@thea_charlesworth); the Arcade (@thearcadeproduction)
Set Design Julia Dias (@juliadiasstudio)
Set Assistant: Fergus Lockyer (@lowestdog)
Style Assistant: Ludovica Toscano (@_ludovicatoscano); Molly Shillingford (@mollyshillingford)
Photographic Assistants: Wynston Shannon, Peter Hargroves  

Lead image: Full look, Tom Ford; Serpenti High Jewelry necklace in pink gold and diamonds with an oval amethyst, Serpenti High Jewelry bracelet in pink gold and diamonds with an oval amethyst, and Solitaire High Jewelry diamond earrings, all Bvlgari

On the cover: Natasha is wearing outfit by Robert Wun (@robertwun); Serpenti High Jewelry ring in yellow gold and diamonds with emerald eyes, Bvlgari (@bvlgari)