On day two of our Bengaluru takeover, our Chief Mentor Aditya Ghosh engaged in a disruptive dialogue with Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson & Founder, Biocon Ltd. and Biocon Biologics Ltd. as we put her entrepreneurial journey under the microscope to gather strategic insights into what qualities define this luminary’s unique leadership style. With a powerful story to tell, she revealed a more personal, deliberative side of herself as an entrepreneur. We discovered the many dimensions of this healthcare visionary and her goal to create global impact and save the lives of a billion patients > building a billion-dollar business. And guess what, she achieved both with a deep sense of purpose, passion, philanthropy and relentless pursuit!

44 years ago, she was refused a job in a brewery for being a woman. And then came along Les Auchincloss, who partnered with her to set up Biocon Biochemicals. In his words – “She is a fantastic, enthusiastic, ass-kicking woman who is aggressive, demanding and would make a great partner.” This “accidental entrepreneur” (paraphrasing her) believes in accidental encounters and really did show the naysayers how to fearlessly channel that entrepreneurial streak, navigate unchartered terrains and successfully make an impact. She encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to not fear failure, and instead have the courage to learn from it. A frugal start in her garage, followed by many rejections from banks for a credit line to a woman-led venture, she went on to achieve milestone after milestone with grit and a never-give-up attitude. In her father’s words, “Money is not a currency to buy favours, money is a currency to make a difference”, and she certainly lived by these words.

Kiran was always inspired by Tessy Thomas, an Indian scientist, and went on to employ thousands of women scientists with the many businesses she built along the way. This purely raw, invigorating conversation with this trailblazer with many firsts, is sure to tremendously inspire and influence women leaders for generations to come.

Catch the conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQSXXCqmCUw