Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Executive Chairperson, Biocon and Syngene International LtdAbout
As a 25-year-old first-generation woman entrepreneur, it was baptism by fire for Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw when she established Biocon India Pvt. Ltd to manufacture enzymes for the brewing industry in 1978. From getting people to understand what enzyme technology is to convincing investors about the promise of biotechnology after the company shifted its focus to biopharmaceutical manufacturing, Mazumdar-Shaw has, over decades, reinvented her company several times. Today, Biocon is one of the world’s Top 5 biosimilar companies with ₹16,927 crore in revenue in FY26, the year which saw the company integrate its biosimilars and generics businesses. Mazumdar-Shaw has also invested in her personal capacity in cell and gene therapy startup Immuneel Therapeutics. Its made-in-India CAR T-cell therapy has delivered India’s first known long-term remission in patients with aggressive blood cancers. “My story is not just about success; it is also about taking on challenges,” she says. Even as Biocon was charting its growth path, Mazumdar-Shaw has taken the next bet, to develop innovative products for the global market through U.S.-based Bicara Therapeutics. Niece Claire Mazumdar, identified as her successor in Biocon, is the CEO of the NASDAQ-listed clinical-stage company.
