India

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Biocon · Bengaluru

A trained brewmaster locked out of breweries because she was a woman — so she built a biotech instead. Made affordable insulin and cancer drugs India's signature.

PioneerAffordabilityResilience

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Company

Biocon

Journey

Moves that mattered.

1978
Started Biocon in a Bengaluru garage with ₹10,000 — at 25, a woman in biotech.
1989
Became first Indian biotech to export enzymes to US and Europe.
2004
Biocon IPO oversubscribed 33×; became billionaire on listing day.
2020
Led India's biotech response to COVID with affordable therapeutics.

Struggles

Banks refused loans 'because she was a woman'. Investors said biotech was 'too risky' for India.

Family

Married to John Shaw, Scotsman, her CFO and life partner. No children.

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The full story

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, in 1 chapters.

Ch 01
The story
A trained brewmaster locked out of breweries because she was a woman — so she built a biotech instead. Made affordable insulin and cancer drugs India's signature.

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