Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

“My legacy is going to be in affordable health care. I am willing to invest in developing that model and the policies around it.”

“People believe that art and science are two distinct realms. It is far from the truth because, if you look at science from a microscope or from a different lens, you can see the beauty in science. It is very artistic.”

“In India, I personally believe yes, there is a clear fear of unknown; there's a lot of risk aversions in science and technology. They want predictability in everything they do, and it starts from people. It starts from investors. It starts from the regulators. You see that mindset across the society.”

“My father was a brew master. He was the one who I was very close to, he influenced me in many many ways including my pursuing a career as a brew master.”

“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.”

“I do serve on various boards and I'm very honest and frank, obviously. I am a very forthright person and I do, sort of, share my candid views on anything.”

“What really got me focused on cancer was when my best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, and even though she was a well-to-do person, I found that her treatment costs were crippling.”

“Pioneering companies always try out new things and experiment with new concepts and new things.”

“I think there's a certain paranoia about science because there is a certain risk related to science which people are very wary about, and therefore, there is an inherent risk aversion to science and technology or, at least, science and technology of unknown.”

“My passion for innovation and my interest in the 'business of science' has seen Biocon commercialize many innovative platforms and products.”

“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.”

“I've had many failures in terms of technological... business... and even research failures. I really believe that entrepreneurship is about being able to face failure, manage failure and succeed after failing.”

“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.”

“I hate the title of being called 'the richest woman in India,' but it's the recognition that this was the value that I had created as a woman entrepreneur, and that makes me very, very proud.”

“Being in a field like healthcare, for me, as someone who is basically on a mission to make a global impact in terms of affordable access to healthcare, I am very, very concerned about the fact that there are a large number of people in this world who need to have some access to basic rights, whether it is in education or healthcare.”

“I owe my drive and determination to my upbringing, which instilled in me a set of values that make me who I am.”

“I have successfully challenged the Western world's existing model of pharmaceutical innovation, which leads to the creation of monopolistic markets for novel, life-saving drugs that deliver high margins at low volumes.”

“I think, in terms of corporate philosophy, I've always believed that you've got to treat people in a very very egalitarian manner in the sense I like to treat people on a one-to-one basis. And I like people to take on a lot of responsibilities because I think with a sense of responsibility also comes a sense of purpose.”

“Design, art, and science are all a melange.”

“You have to build a culture of philanthropy. In a country like India, we need to be sensitive and caring about the poorer, more disadvantaged section of our country.”