Asia's 9 Most Powerful Indian Businesswomen

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the Managing Director and Chairman of Biocon. She is among the most industrious of Indian entrepreneurs. She got the idea to start Biocon after working for Biocon Bio-chemicals. She withstood and successfully overcame initial hurdles like – lack of funding and unproven business model. Sheer determination helped her sail through such rough times. She also overcame the next obstacle of the required technology in the field of bio-technology. Shaw can be seen as sort of a pioneer in the field of bio-tech. She has inspired countless people to pursue bio-tech, especially women. Shaw has literally single-handedly shaped and changed the face of bio-technology in the country.  She is solely responsible for channeling Biocon towards development and modernization. Shaw is the only reason behind Biocon’s overnight success. It became the first biotech corporation of India to receive funding from the U.S. for proprietary technologies in the year 1989. In 1990, Shaw improved Biocon’s in-house research programme. Biocon even went for a joint venture with Cuban Center of Molecular Immunology. Biocon became a high-profiled IPO in 2004, with its value being oversubscribed 32 times. Its market value shot to a whopping $1.11 billion on its first day on the trade listings. This earned Biocon a position as the 2^nd Indian firm to have a first day IPO crossing the $1 billion mark. Biocon also has more than 2,200 R&D licenses and entered into other emerging nations through M&A.