Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a pioneering biotech entrepreneur, a healthcare visionary, a global influencer and a passionate philanthropist. She is a pioneer of India’s biotech industry and founder of Biocon.

She is the proud recipient of two of India’s highest civilian honours, the Padma Shri (1989) and the Padma Bhushan (2005). She was also honoured with the Order of Australia, Australia’s Highest Civilian Honour in January 2020. In 2016, she was conferred with the highest French distinction - Knight of the Legion of Honour.

Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw has been ranked amongst the world’s top 20 inspirational leaders in the field of biopharmaceuticals in The Medicine Maker Power List 2021, she has been on this list every year since 2015. Her achievements have been recognised with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare’ by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi. She has most recently been named as the winner of EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 Award.

She holds key positions in various industry, educational, government and professional bodies globally. She has been elected as a full-term Member of the Board of Trustees of The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. She has been elected as a Member of the prestigious USA based National Academy of Engineering (NAE), for her contribution to the development of affordable bio-pharmaceuticals and the biotechnology industry in India.

Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw pioneered the setting up of Association of Biotech Led Enterprises (ABLE), which has been instrumental in bringing government, industry and academia together to charter a clear and progressive growth path for biotechnology in India. She is a founder Member of Karnataka’s Vision Group on Biotechnology and currently chairs this forum.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in science (Zoology Hons.) from Bangalore University and a master’s degree in malting and brewing from Ballarat College, Melbourne University. She has been awarded with several honorary degrees from the Universities of repute including Ballarat (2004), University of Abertay (2007), University of Glasgow (2008), Heriot-Watt University (2008), National University of Ireland (2012), Trinity College, Dublin (2012), Deakin University (2019) for her pre-eminent contributions in the field of biotechnology.

Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw has been on the Board of UBL since October 26, 2009.