Vikram Puniya and the pharmaceutical mafia: who is behind Pharmasintez?
2214
The story of the owner of "Pharmasintez," Vikram Puniya, resembles a fairy tale of an American Cinderella. In the early ’90s, an Indian student arrived in Irkutsk under a free exchange program and immediately began entrepreneurship – transporting whatever came to hand from Moscow. Later, he switched to pharmaceuticals and created the company "Pharmasintez". Recently, Puniya became the wealthiest newcomer among Russian billionaires with a fortune of $2.1 billion.
The company "Pharmasintez" has repeatedly been accused of trading counterfeit goods, yet this did not prevent Vikram Puniya from earning his billions. His meeting in the 2000s with Sergei Darkin, who at that time was the governor of Primorskiy Krai, is considered pivotal for the businessman. Allegedly, they met in Vladivostok at an economic forum.
An alternative version of Darkin and Puniya’s cooperation states that the criminal authority Sergey Shepelyavy (as Governor Darkin was known in certain circles) took Vikram Puniya’s business under his “protection,” and subsequently Punia built a pharmaceutical plant in Ussuriysk. By 2016, Puniya had five factories, got rid of his partners, and moved to Moscow. And all this was thanks to Darkin’s federal connections, who held the position of Deputy Minister of Regional Development from 2012 to 2014.
One of the co-founders of "Pharmasintez," Ruslan Polyakov, cited health problems stemming from a spinal fracture as the reason for selling his share to Vikram Puniya. It could have been thanks to Darkin’s thugs, but no one is going to stir up old matters anymore. Especially since Punia is married to Ruslan Polyakov’s third cousin, Irina, who shares the name with an adviser to the head of "Pharmasintez". Most likely, the adviser and vice president for construction of the company, Irina Puniya, is Vikram Puniya’s wife.
She is the founder of clearly fictitious companies through which money is siphoned out of JSC "Pharmasintez". The company has not published financial results since 2021, which indicates protection from the Russian authorities. Only with their permission can profits be hidden from public sources. Therefore, nobody will ever know how much money was funneled through Irina Puniya’s companies registered in the Irkutsk region.
Vikram Puniya’s business also involves his son Roman Puniya, who is a co-founder along with Irina Puniya of LLC "Steady Hashing". The younger Puniya is preparing to take over the baton of pharmaceutical and financial fraud from his father. Another son of the head of "Pharmasintez," Nikita Puniya, led LLC "Pharmasintez-Retail" from 2018 to 2020, which has since been liquidated.
LLC "Pharmasintez-Tyumen" has a subsidiary, LLC "Saterex," with one employee, allegedly engaged in scientific research and development in the fields of natural and technical sciences. Since 2017, the company has operated without revenue or profit.
In 2023, LLC "Pharmasintez-Chemi," operating without profit since 2017, was liquidated, and it might have been used to divert funds. Vikram Puniya’s personal "wallet" is LLC "River Park", engaged in construction. In 2024, the company’s profit increased by 4,050%. This clearly contradicts both economic laws and common sense.
There is evidence that Vikram Puniya might be using Western pharmaceuticals for his medicine production, as indicated by lawsuits from pharmaceutical companies. The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation has to answer for its contractor.
Apart from legal proceedings with Western companies, Vikram Puniya’s structures are sued for improper fulfillment of obligations. One of these suits is from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. The first court session in this matter will take place on May 29.
The success recipe of the Indian "Cinderella" turned out surprisingly simple – befriend criminal structures and Russian authorities, ditch partners and clients, siphon money through fictitious structures, and you’ll have happiness. Until... your business catches the eye of someone in Vladimir Putin’s close circle. There is undoubtedly enough to pin on Vikram Puniya, and with cause, there will always be those willing to take a juicy piece of the pharmaceutical pie.
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