“I am an accidental entrepreneur,” declared Biotech entrepreneur and CEO of Biocon Ltd, Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, during an interactive session with the students at the Indian School of Business (ISB). Proclaimed as India’s richest woman, Shaw outlined the interesting trends and opportunities in the biotech sector globally, and about India’s role in it. Sharing the macro picture of this sector, since its evolution 30 years ago, Shaw talked about the dynamics of this sector illustrating her own personal journey, from being a brew-master to the owner of the biggest biopharmaceutical firm in India.

At a packed lecture theatre, Shaw traced her experiences as an entrepreneur, recalling how she started with a capital of Rs 10,000 only. An “accidental encounter” with the founder of an Irish biotech company set Shaw’s vision ahead. “Entrepreneurship is a process of discovery,” she told the engrossed listeners. “What excited me about starting a biotech company was simply that I found enzymes to be fascinating. It was all about harnessing biological systems, which I found very interesting,” she said.

Shaw started her career with developing enzymes, and then ramified into unexplored avenues like paper and pulp, bio-fuel, fruit juices, effluent treatment, etc. “The enzyme landscape kept expanding and diversifying,” she recalled.

During her talk, Shaw touched upon various topics like green technology, alternative fuel, agri-biotech, BT cotton, etc. She stressed that bio tech is a powerful answer to crises such a food shortage, environmental sustainability, energy needs, healthcare, etc. “Biotech provides answers to such challenges through innovations, research and actual business models,” she assured. She also explained that biotech allows to develop drugs in a very informed way, as it is not based on trial and error, and thus is an exciting zone to unleash.

About the road ahead, Shaw observed that her company is on the path to create a million jobs by the year 2010. “It will be an encompassing milieu of people from different fields - farmers, scientist, researchers, marketing people, etc,” she said.

She concluded the afternoon session by addressing the future business leaders at the ISB. “The whole space has opened up, and there are equal opportunities to go ahead. We are at the same starting line. This is our moment, and it’s for people like you to avail of these opportunities and partake in the excitement,” she said. She also tackled a number of questions from the student community on issues of regulatory regime and public opinion.