Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited
A passion to provide affordable and accessible medicines drives trailblazer Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw was named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2020.
Kiran started her entrepreneurial journey in 1978 with US$500 and an ambition to create a business that would “leverage science for the benefit of society.” In the four decades since, Kiran has grown Biocon into one of Asia’s leading biotech companies, creating affordable and accessible medicines for some of the world’s most vulnerable patients.
Kiran started working out of her garage, and within a year she was exporting enzymes globally. As a pioneer of Bangalore’s technology hub, her name soon became synonymous with the biotech industry in India. She grew Biocon into one of the largest employers in the region, with an 11,000-strong workforce. Her success and determination to make a difference has propelled her onto the global stage, and today she is recognized as a global thought leader, appearing on the Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women list and Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list. In 2021, CEO Magazine named Kiran among the 16 most influential women in leadership, calling her “The Compassionate Capitalist.”
More recently, Kiran has been at the forefront of battling the COVID-19 pandemic, revamping Biocon labs for testing and repurposing drugs to benefit COVID-19 patients. In addition, the Biocon Foundation is addressing some of the economic needs of those impacted. Her goal remains “to develop affordable blockbuster drugs with the potential to benefit a billion patients.”
All entrepreneurs have a responsibility to the world around them and the communities in which they operate.
