India Billionaires
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, India’s pioneering biotech entrepreneur, founded Biocon in 1978 with ₹10,000 in a Bangalore garage. A graduate in brewing science from Melbourne, she applied her expertise in fermentation to enzymes and pharmaceuticals. Today, Biocon exports to 120+ countries, leads in biosimilars, and produces affordable insulin and cancer therapies. She is a global advocate for affordable healthcare and women in leadership. Through the Biocon Foundation, she promotes rural health and STEM education. A Padma Bhushan awardee and Time 100 honoree, she also won the EY Global Entrepreneur award. Mazumdar-Shaw is celebrated as one of the world’s most influential women in science and business.
Timeline
1973: Graduate in Zoology, Bangalore University.
1975: Earns Master Brewer certificate, Australia.
1978: Founds Biocon with ₹10,000.
1979: First Indian company to export enzymes.
2001: Receives US FDA approval for cholesterol drug.
2004: Biocon IPO; becomes India’s first listed biotech firm.
2010s - 20s: Expands into biosimilars, insulin, and oncology drugs.
2024: Wins Jamsetji Tata Award.
