Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw received the Othmer Gold Medal, an honor that places her among a select group of figures recognized across the sciences and industry, and one of the more distinguished awards in a body of recognition that spans four continents and multiple fields.
Born in Bengaluru on 23 March 1953, she holds Indian citizenship and pursued her education at Mount Carmel College in Bangalore, Bangalore University, and Federation University Australia. Her occupations span brewing, entrepreneurship, and business leadership — a range that would come to be reflected in the variety of institutions that later saw fit to recognize her work.
The honors she has received are drawn from several countries. India awarded her the Padma Shri in trade and industry and the Padma Bhushan in science and engineering. France appointed her a Knight of the Legion of Honour, and Australia named her an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia. The Royal Society of Edinburgh elected her a Corresponding Fellow, and the University of Glasgow conferred upon her an honorary doctorate. Beyond these, she received the Global Economy Prize and the Nikkei Asia Prize, and was listed among Time magazine's Time 100.
The Padma Bhushan, awarded specifically in the category of science and engineering, stands as a formal acknowledgment by the Indian state of her contributions within that domain. It is a concrete point of distinction for someone whose recognized occupations include entrepreneur, brewmaster, and business executive — categories that together describe a career the Nikkei Asia Prize, the Global Economy Prize, and the Othmer Gold Medal have each, in their own terms, seen fit to honor.
Quotes by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
I am very passionate about India's place in bio-pharmaceuticals, and that is what I really want to drive and create leadership for in India because I really think it is possible.
Pioneering companies always try out new things and experiment with new concepts and new things.
I was greatly inspired by my late father, who was a well-known name in the brewing industry. It was he who encouraged me to take the road less traversed and gave me the confidence to pursue my path of entrepreneurship.
India is a fertile ground for entrepreneurs, given its large pool of world-class talent and resources. India's ability to generate wealth and create social good will come if we let entrepreneurs flourish by encouraging and enabling innovation.
Inherently, I have a social conscience which my late father inculcated in me. He was not exactly a very wealthy man, but he was very concerned about the underprivileged, about the people who didn't have equal opportunities.
In Vedic times, we had the great quest for the unknown. We did wonderful things; we celebrate our past vigyaan and our wonderful heritage of science and technology of the Vedic times.
My philanthropy is largely focused on healthcare, and I really want to make a difference to people's lives.
I want to make sure that our bio-similars capture a huge market share and help cancer patients around the world, which we are already doing in the developing world because we didn't have access to these drugs. Biocon enjoys a large reputation of giving them high-quality cancer drug.