INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS

SHOBHNA BHARTIA

Born - 1957
Achievements - Daughter of renowned industrialist KK Birla, Shobhana Bhartia is the vice-chairperson as well as the editorial director of the Hindustan Times group, which is among India's major newspaper and media houses. In the year 2001, she received the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year award.

Born in the year 1957, the daughter of renowned industrialist KK Birla and grand daughter of GD Birla, Shobhana Bhartia is the vice-chairperson as well as the editorial director of the Hindustan Times group, which is among India's major newspaper and media houses. This lady holds the credit of raising Rs 400 Crore via public equity launch of the HT Media group in the year 2005. Till the year 2004, the Birla family owned 75.36 per cent stake in HT Media.

Here's more information about the biography of Shobhana Bhartia, who graduated from the Calcutta University and later, wedded Shyam Sunder Bhartia. This particular gentleman is the chairman of the Rs 14 billion Jubilant Organosys Limited, a Pharma company. Shamit Bhartia, their son, is also a member in the HT Media group. At the same time, he operates lifestyle businesses like Domino's Pizza franchise in the country and a convenience store chain in Bangalore city.

At the time when Shobhana Bharatiya became a member of the Hindustan Times in the year 1986, she was the very first woman chief executive of a national newspaper and in all probability, also among the youngest. Shobhana Bhartia is regarded as one of the crucial people there who played a pivotal role in revamping the image of the Hindustan Times into a "bright and young paper". The life history of Shobhana Bhartia's career is full of achievements.

Shobhana was nominated the member of the upper house of the Indian Parliament i.e. the Rajya Sabha. Shobhana Bhartia was also handed the Global Leader of Tomorrow award by the World Economic Forum in the year 1996. Then again in the year 2001, she received the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year award. The National Press India Award was given to Shobhana in the year 1992.

INDIAN ENTREPRENEURS

KIRAN MAZUMDZR SHAW

Born: March 23, 1953
Achievement: Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd; Felicitated with Padmashri (1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005).

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd, India's biggest biotechnology company. In 2004, she became India's richest woman.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was born on March 23, 1953 in Bangalore. She had her schooling at Bishop Cotton Girls School and Mount Carmel College at Bangalore. After doing completing her B.Sc. in Zoology from Bangalore University in 1973, she went to Ballarat University in Melbourne, Australia and qualified as a master brewer.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw started her professional career as trainee brewer in Carlton & United Beverages in 1974. In 1978, she joined as Trainee Manager with Biocon Biochemicals Limited in Ireland. In the same year, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw founded Biocon India in collaboration with Biocon Biochemicals Limited, with a capital of Rs.10,000. She initially faced many problems regarding funds for her business. Banks were hesitant to give loan to her as biotechnology was a totally new field at that point of time and she was a woman entrepreneur, which was a rare phenomenon.

Biocon's initial operation was to extract an enzyme from papaya. Under Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's stewardship Biocon transformed from an industrial enzymes company to an integrated biopharmaceutical company with strategic research initiatives. Today, Biocon is recognised as India's pioneering biotech enterprise. In 2004, Biocon came up with an IPO and the issue was over-subscribed by over 30 times. Post-IPO, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw held close to 40% of the stock of the company and was regarded as India's richest woman with an estimated worth of Rs. 2,100 crore.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the recipient of several prestigious awards. These include ET Businesswoman of the Year, Best Woman Entrepreneur, Model Employer, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences & Healthcare, Leading Exporter, Outstanding Citizen, Technology Pioneer, etc. Government of India also felicitated her with Padmashri (1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005).