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Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw to receive honorary degree in U.S.
The Biocon founder will also deliver the keynote address at the institute’s 24th commencement ceremony in May.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 02, Apr 2026
- 14:14 EDT
- 15
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw / kgi.edu
Prominent Indian entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw will receive an honorary doctorate from California-based Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) during its 24th commencement ceremony in May 2026.
Biocon founder and executive chairperson, Mazumdar-Shaw will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Life Sciences degree in recognition of her contributions to biotechnology and her work to expand access to affordable healthcare globally. She will also serve as the keynote speaker at the ceremony.
Also Read: Pichai to deliver first in-person commencement speech at Stanford
KGI president Mohamed Abousalem said the institute was recognizing a career shaped by “service, innovation, and impact.”
“We are proud to recognize Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw with an honorary degree in acknowledgment of a bioscience career defined by service, innovation, and impact,” Abousalem said.
“Under her leadership, Biocon has expanded access to affordable healthcare for communities too often left behind, and we are proud to celebrate her legacy that reflects our shared values and belief that innovation, when guided by purpose, can heal and uplift global communities,” he added.
Mazumdar-Shaw, who founded Biocon in 1978 as India’s first biotechnology company, has led its growth from a startup launched out of a garage into a global biopharmaceutical company focused on affordable medicines.
Biocon is headquartered in Bengaluru and has built a presence in biosimilars, biologics, and other therapeutic areas.
In a statement, Mazumdar-Shaw said the recognition reflected a shared commitment between science and public good.
“I am honored to be recognized by Keck Graduate Institute, whose mission aligns closely with my own belief that science must ultimately serve humanity,” she said.
“Biotechnology gives us the opportunity to reimagine healthcare, not just through innovation, but through inclusion and access. I accept this honor as a reminder of the responsibility we share as a global scientific community to ensure that the benefits of innovation reach every patient, everywhere,” she added.
According to KGI, this will be the first honorary degree Mazumdar-Shaw has received from a U.S. institution. She had previously delivered the commencement address at KGI in 2017.
The relationship between Mazumdar-Shaw and KGI goes back more than a decade. In 2013, she collaborated with the institute to launch the Biocon KGI Certificate Program in Biosciences through Biocon Academy in India, aimed at addressing the biotech talent gap.
The 18-week full-time program combines classroom instruction with hands-on training under KGI faculty guidance.
More recently, Mazumdar-Shaw has also supported scholarships for KGI students in the United States. KGI president Abousalem also visited Biocon’s headquarters in India late last year, according to the institute.
Mazumdar-Shaw is the 14th recipient of an honorary degree from KGI. The institute says the award is reserved for individuals with significant professional achievement, leadership, and service that align with KGI’s mission in healthcare and life sciences.
The 72-year-old is one of India’s best-known biotech entrepreneurs and has received several international honors over the course of her career, including the Othmer Gold Medal, the Advancing Women in Science and Medicine Award, the Order of Australia, and the Knight of the National Order of the French Legion of Honour. She was also named EY World Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020 and was included in Forbes’ 50 Over 50 global list in 2025.
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