Entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, founder and chairperson of Biocon, awarded the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year last week, becoming the second woman in the world and the third Indian so far to win the award after Narayana Murthy of Infosys Technologies Limited and Uday Kotak of Kotak Mahindra Bank. She got selected from among 46 Entrepreneur of the Year country award winners from 41 countries and territories. Before her, Olivia Lum of Hyflux Limited from Singapore was the first woman to win the award in 2011.
After receiving an award in a virtual ceremony, Mazumdar said that I am truly honoured to receive the prestigious EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2020. Entrepreneurship is about solving problems. The greatest opportunities often arise at the toughest times, and that’s been my experience throughout my entrepreneurial journey. Entrepreneurship is not about giving it a shot. 100% commitment to a career is non-negotiable. You have to work in a way like your whole life depends on it. Most women try to do a job or have a family. A man doesn’t do that. It’s not about how you are seen but about how you see yourself, she said.
EY World Entrepreneur of the Year judging panel Chair Manny Stul said they got impressed by her ability to build and sustain growth over the past 30 years and by her integrity and passion for philanthropy that made a huge global impact.
Biocon is a bio-enzymes company, founded in 1978 with just two employees. It has grown to employ more than 11,000 people and become one of the strongest innovation-driven biotechnology companies in Asia. The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards previously Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards is an award sponsored by Ernst & Young in recognition of entrepreneurship.
