Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw founded Biocon in India in 1978 as a biotechnology enterprise. She began the company in a garage in Bengaluru, then known as Bangalore, with a small amount of capital and limited access to business financing.
Biocon initially focused on industrial enzymes and later moved into pharmaceuticals, biologics, and research-driven healthcare products. Mazumdar-Shaw’s background in brewing and her training in fermentation technology were relevant to the company’s early biotechnology work.
Biocon is often confused with Indian pharmaceutical companies that were founded earlier and began with conventional medicines. Its distinctive identity is tied to biotechnology and biopharmaceutical research. The company later became one of India’s best-known biotechnology firms, while Mazumdar-Shaw became a prominent Indian entrepreneur.