Biography of Mrs. Kiran Majumdar Shah

Kiran Majumdar Shah was born in Kannada. She obtained her B.Sc Zoology Honors degree from Bangalore University and then completed her post-graduation training in Malting and Brewing at Ballarat College.

Kiran Majumdar, Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd., Syngene International Ltd. & also Chairperson of Clinigen International Ltd.

Kiran joined Biocon Biochemicals Limited in Cork, Ireland as Trainee Manager. Biocon was also founded in her garage in Bangalore. It is Rs. 10,000 seed capital. He was responsible for the company's evolution from an industrial enzymes manufacturer to a fully integrated bio-pharmaceutical company with a balanced business portfolio and research focus on diabetes, oncology and auto-immune disorders.

Biocon MD Kiran Mujumdar Shah has been named 'Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur' in recognition of her distinguished services to biosciences.

Her pioneering work has won her several awards from the government, including the Padma Shri (1989), and the Padma Bhushan (2005).

Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She also appears on Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women and Financial Times' Top 50 Women in Business.

In a joint venture with the Cuban Center of Molecular Immunology, she also established Biocon Biopharmaceuticals Private Limited to produce and market a limited range of biotherapeutics. Biocon was able to manufacture and sell drugs at cost-effective prices because she believed that affordable innovation was the only way to meet healthcare needs.

Biocon currently has the largest perfusion-based and insulin manufacturing facilities in Asia.

Biocon Foundation was founded by her to provide health, education and sanitation programs to economically disadvantaged communities. The foundation's micro health insurance program has enrolled 70,000 rural members.

The foundation provides mobile medical services and also conducts free health care camps and preventive health education programs.

Along with Dr. Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya helped establish a 1,400-bed cancer center at the Narayana Health City campus in Boommasandra, Bangalore. It is also known as Majumdar Shah Cancer Center (MSCC) and is spread over five lakh feet. It specializes in cervical cancer, head and neck cancer and breast cancer.

Kiran Mazumdar Shah emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship to create jobs in the country. Management students should consider entrepreneurship. Future managers must learn to manage risk, not take it.