Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon Limited, India's largest Biotechnology Company based out of Bengaluru, India. She is also the Chairperson of IIM-Bangalore and an Independent Director with Infosys. In 2014, she was awarded the Othmer Gold Medal for outstanding contributions to the progress of science and chemistry. She is on the Financial Times’ top 50 women in business list and in 2015, she was listed as the 85th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.

MyIndMakers is honored and excited to do this email interview with her.

Is GST really a make or break for the Indian economy right now? Even if it were passed in the parliament today, wouldn't it take many years to implement?

It's not a make or break. However, it will make our economy stronger n more tax efficient as it will significantly improve cost of logistics n business ease. It is estimated to contribute 2% to our GDP. If passed, it can be implemented expeditiously as the ground work is being prepared. 

Some Indian cities have exceptional expressways & gleaming airports today. But, wholesome and sustainable development is amiss. 

Take Bangalore for example, it used to be the city of gardens, parks and was called the pensioners 'paradise'. Now it's a burgeoning monstrosity (city). Who will dare bring that change in urban planning and thinking?

Political will and political vision are needed to enforce the discipline of urban planning. Unfortunately, this is not at all a priority as resource allocation is arbitrary and linked to political patronage.

You and many concerned citizens of Bangalore came up with the innovative initiative of BPAC (Bengaluru Political Action Committee). Do you want to see that model replicated nationwide? Does India need such platforms for policymakers and citizens to interact and churn out solutions?

Citizens’ engagement is key to deliver better governance.  I think BPAC is playing a great role in engaging with various governmental n parastatal agencies to improve governance. We are also working closely with the government in city improvement initiatives. 

In the near future do you see India taking the lead in developing novel innovative drugs? What challenges must Indian pharma and academia overcome?

My own company has a strong pipeline of novel programs under development. I believe Indian companies can certainly develop new and innovative drugs but there needs to be support from capital markets and investors who are sadly risk averse. 

Cancer prevalence is on the rise in India. Is Biocon venturing into Cancer drug discovery and is the focus on developing synthetic drugs or exploring the potential of natural products?

There is a big difference between biopharma and natural products. I am only focusing on complex bio pharmaceuticals which are expensive and hence hardly accessible to patients. We are focused on developing these drugs to ensure affordable access 

You have often said that red tape and choking bureaucracy forced you to shift clinical trials to the USA. This of course drives up the prices of drugs and makes them out of reach for multitudes of poor. Is there any solution to the bureaucratic sloth and do you see it getting better in the future?

It's not bureaucratic sloth but the strong arm tactics of various NGOs that is presenting these challenges.  Unfortunately, our regulators are not empowered to defend themselves and our judiciary lack the scientific and regulatory understanding to adjudicate in such matters.

Ms. Shaw, you took up a very unusual activity early on in your life: that of brewing! Did you face any resistance from the industry and society initially? Was that more of a passion or did you want to seriously get into it?

I faced a number of credibility hurdles linked to gender, youth and the nature of my business venture. As a woman, I was considered a high financial risk n hence could not secure bank loans. As a 25 year old start up entrepreneur I was considered too young to be an employer and I couldn't find professionals who were willing to work for me. Finally, Biotechnology was a field no one understood so that added to the challenge. 

You are a trailblazer in your own right and have broken many glass ceilings.  Do you ever view your struggle, your success and your impact in terms of gender?  Is the prefix 'woman' in front of woman entrepreneur an advantage or a disadvantage? 

I have always thought of myself as a pioneering entrepreneur who led from the front. I did not follow an established business model nor any business clichés. I had the freedom of choice to run my company and I think that is what has provided me the true spirit of challenge.