Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, the Indian entrepreneur billionaire is the founder of Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics Limited. She was listed as the 68th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. She was also named the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2020. For her contributions to science and related fields, she was awarded the Othmer Gold Medal. Kiran talks to Barkha Dutt about gender bias, conditioned prejudices and her entrepreneurship journey.
Isn’t this how we popularly know Kiran Shaw. While she has become a successful businesswoman, she had faced a lot of flak in the starting days of her career. As a society, we are conditioned to perceive things in a certain manner. Due to the pre conceived notions in the society, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was denied work despite being highly qualified for the position.
At a time when engineering and medicine were treated as the supreme qualifications, Kiran Shaw had pursued fermentation engineering upon her father’s wish. She remarks “I had gone to Australia to pursue the degree and returned as the first woman brewmaster. While I was pumped up and excited to start my career, the backlash I faced was extremely saddening. Everybody said brewing is a man’s job. They used to say we can’t risk brewing in the hands of a woman.”
At a time when engineering and medicine were treated as the supreme qualifications, Kiran Shaw had pursued fermentation engineering upon her father’s wish.
She remarks “I had gone to Australia to pursue the degree and returned as the first woman brewmaster. While I was pumped up and excited to start my career, the backlash I faced was extremely saddening.
Everybody said brewing is a man’s job. They used to say we can’t risk brewing in the hands of a woman.”
“I retaliated with anger and resilience after the gender bias. It was the defiance and retaliation with which I built Biocon.”
Well, for starters the gender bias didn’t end for Kiran Shaw despite as even banks denied giving her a credit line because her business was entirely and she was a female doing the business. However, a venture funding was what helped her grow her home-grown technology.
“I was trying to fight for my survival, I was passionate about my business. I learned to fend for myself,” Kiran Shaw adds speaking about her days of struggle.
For women in the field of business, daunting obstacles are unavoidable. Due to prejudices in society, gender biases are engraved in our society deeply, so “for a woman to highlight her business, she needs to tell her stories better. I believe in women’s empowerment. For that to happen you need to be economically independent need to be empowered and fulfilled,” Kiran Shaw further adds.
Gender biases are a part and parcel of our lives in every field of work. Overcoming it and becoming a part of the leadership is what we need to aim for.