Born on 23rd March 1953, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon Limited – India’s largest listed biotechnology. Always inclined towards studies and education, Kiran received a B.Sc in Zoology from Bangalore University, India. With a thirst to study further, she went to Australia as a post-graduate where she studied at Ballarat University in Melbourne, qualifying as a Master Brewer. In 1974, she got her first job and started working as a trainee brewer with Carlton and United Beverages. She worked there for four years, after which her life took a new turn.

 

Just before Kiran was about to make the move to Scotland, she met Leslie Auchincloss – founder of Biocon Biochemicals Limited, of Cork, Ireland, and her journey to entrepreneurial success began!

 

In 1978, Mazumdar Shaw joined Biocon Biochemicals Limited, Ireland as a trainee manager. In the same year she joined, she launched the Indian arm of the company: She rented a garage space in Bangalore, and with an initial investment of Rs10,000 she commenced her entrepreneurial journey.

 

In the early days, Kiran faced many challenges. Her youth, her gender & her untested business model meant she lacked credibility; she encountered funding problems because, without a guarantor, no bank wanted to lend her money; recruitment was also a big issue for her because nobody wanted to work for an unproven startup. Indeed, her first employee was a retired garage mechanic.

 

On top of all that she faced quite a few frustrating technological challenges such as unstable infrastructure, unreliable power supply, poor quality water, unhygienic labs, low-quality research equipment, workers without advanced scientific skills, etc!

 

But she didn’t give up! She overcomes all the challenges and within a year of its inception, Biocon India became the first company in India to be able to manufacture enzymes and export them to the United States and Europe.

 

Up until 1983, Biocon followed the protocols of its parent company and also sold to companies with similar backgrounds. Soon after that; Kiran transformed Biocon from an industrial enzymes manufacturing company to a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company - A company with a well-balanced business portfolio of products and a research focus on diabetes, oncology, and auto-immune diseases. From this point on, there was no turning back. The company's first-year earnings were used to buy a 20-acre property, with a dream of future expansion.

 

In 1987, Narayan Vaghul of ICICI ventures supported the creation of a venture capital fund of USD 250,000. In 1989, Biocon became the first Indian biotech company to receive US funding for proprietary technology. Eventually, she also launched two subsidiaries; Syngene in 1994 and Clinigene in 2000.

 

Biocon's 2004 IPO was oversubscribed by 33 times, as advised to her by Infosys head honcho Narayan Murthy. It was the second Indian company to cross the $1billion mark on its first day of listing. This raised capital helped her in creating affordable innovations. The company focused on cost-effective techniques and low-cost alternatives for drugs.

 

Apart from Biocon, Mazumdar Shaw has been involved with a variety of philanthropic activities, including Biocon's CSR wing called Biocoin Foundation that focuses on health, education, and infrastructure in rural areas. Quite a journey for an entrepreneur who went from trainee to appearing three times on Forbes magazine's list of the most powerful women in the world!

 

As of September 2020 with a net worth of $4.6 Billion, she is among the top richest women in the world and is named by Forbes as one of the most influential people in the world of science and technology.

 

As a businesswoman, Kiran is a huge admirer of Indra Nooyi, because of the methods & approach used by her to transform Pepsi into a ‘healthy’ fast food organization.

 

Most of her dreams have come true in life and success is at her feet too! Kiran works every day to better the world, one cure at a time. Today, an entire book would not be enough to contain Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw's many achievements and her immense contribution to a global society!