The Biosimilar Unique – BW Businessworld

Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable. This Coco Chanel quote is evident in Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw. The Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon and Biocon Biologics, Mazumdar-Shaw is a woman with a vision and the desire to achieve it. 

Known for breaking barriers in the corporate world, she turned entrepreneur when women building careers was not the societal norm. She aspired to become a doctor, but destiny led her to entrepreneurship. In a media interview, she had once aptly summed up her experience saying, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.”

From setting up Asia’s largest integrated insulin manufacturing and research and development (R&D) facility in Malaysia to acquiring Viatris’ biosimilars business, Mazumdar-Shaw not only became one of India’s richest self-made women but she pushed India itself on a global map of growth in this sector.  

The Thousands-To-Crores Journey

Mazumdar-Shaw was just 25 when she decided to get into the biotechnology sector. She began with a seed capital of Rs 10,000. Her conversations with banks were barely fruitful at the time as they hesitated in issuing a loan for a relatively new sector. From then to now, when in 2022, her company Biocon acquired Viatris’ biosimilar business for a deal sum of Rs 24,990 crore, her journey has been filled with one inspiring milestone taking over another. 

Shaw believes this acquisition gave the company, and India, an opportunity even in the developed markets apart from key emerging markets. With the new fully integrated global biosimilars structure, Biocon is expected to put another feather in its cap, aiming to announce its initial public offerings within the next two years. 

The Giving Genius

Biocon and Biologics have a strong global play under her leadership. Over and above this, however, Mazumdar-Shaw belongs to the tribe of geniuses for whom success is not just marked by their achievements but also by giving back to the world. Her efforts are proof of her convictions. A woman who not only inspires generations after generations of enthusiasts but also continues to prove her merit through her work and constantly endeavours to learn and grow.

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