Bangalore August 20, 2009

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairman and Managing Director of Biocon Ltd, India’s leading biotechnology major, was featured in this prestigious ranking by Forbes. This year, only 3 Indians are featured in the list.

Forbes' Power Women list isn't about celebrity or popularity; it's about influence. In assembling the list, Forbes looked for women who run countries, big companies or influential nonprofits. Their rankings are a combination of two scores: visibility--by press mentions--and the size of the organization or country these women lead.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has steered Biocon, which she founded in 1978 to make industrial enzymes into a top-20 global biotech company, Biocon makes drugs, including insulin and anti-cancer treatments, and its chairman is spearheading India's rapidly growing biotech industry. Ms. Shaw donates half of her dividends to fund hospitals and a health insurance program for poor villagers and has won the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors.