Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (chairman & managing director of Biocon Limited)

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (chairman & managing director of Biocon Limited)

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (born 23 March 1953) is an Indian entrepreneur. She is the chairman & managing director of Biocon Limited a biotechnology company based in Bangalore (Bengaluru), India. She is on the Forbes list of the world's 100 most powerful women and the Financial Times’ top 50 women in business list


Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw's pioneering efforts in biotechnology have drawn global recognition both for Indian Industry and Biocon. Her unique vision has steered Biocon's transition from an industrial enzymes company to an integrated biopharmaceutical company with strategic research initiatives. Biocon is today recognized as India's pioneering biotech enterprise.

She chairs Karnataka's Vision Group on Biotechnology and also served on the Board of Science Foundation, Ireland. She presently serves on the Advisory Council of the Government's Department of Biotechnology where she has been instrumental in bringing government, industry and academia together, to chart a clear and progressive growth path for Biotechnology in India. Ms. Shaw is also a Board member of BVGH (Bio-Ventures for Global Health). Most recently, she has been invited to join the Prime Minister's Council on Trade & Industry in India and the US-India CEO Forum.

Ms. Shaw is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the ET Businesswoman of the Year, Best Woman Entrepreneur, Model Employer, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences & Healthcare, Leading Exporter, Outstanding Citizen, Technology Pioneer, etc. Her most cherished awards are however, the national awards, PADMASHRI (1989) and PADMA BHUSHAN (2005) presented to her by the President of India, for her pioneering efforts in Industrial Biotechnology.

A successful technocrat of global standing, Ms. Shaw is highly respected in the corporate world. She is a much sought after biotech pioneer who has been referred to as "India's Biotech Queen" by The Economist and "India's mother of invention" by New York Times. She was conferred the Wharton- Infosys Business Transformation Award in 2006 for spearheading the Biotechnology sector in India. Nature Biotechnology has recently voted her the most influential Bio-business personality outside Europe and USA.

Ms. Shaw received a graduate honors degree in Zoology from Bangalore University (1973) and qualified as a Master Brewer from Ballarat University, Australia (1975). Ms Shaw also received an honorary Doctorate of Science, from her alma mater, Ballarat University, in recognition of her pre-eminent contributions to the field of Biotechnology.

She is married to John Shaw, a Scotsman and Indophile, who headed a leading textiles MNC, Madura Coats from 1991-1998 as Chairman and Managing Director. John Shaw has since joined Biocon as Director, International Business and is the Vice Chairman of the Board.