Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon and Biocon Biologics, has been elected as the Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), Scotland’s National Academy established in 1783, for the advancement of learning and useful knowledge.

According to a press statement, Kiran will be joining RSE’s current Fellowship of around 1,700 Fellows who are recognised as being some of the greatest thinkers, researchers and practitioners working in or with Scotland today.

As Scotland’s National Academy, RSE uses the combined knowledge of its Fellows to provide independent expert advice to policymakers and inspire the next generation of innovative thinkers. This knowledge contributes to the social and economic wellbeing of Scotland, its people and the nation’s wider contribution to the global community.

On receiving the Fellowship, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said: “I’m truly humbled and honoured to have been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, one of the world’s oldest and most respected academic societies. It is inspiring to join this fellowship of luminaries from different walks of life who are striving for the economic and social well-being of the world. The Fellowship will provide me an opportunity to work collectively and collaboratively with some of the greatest minds to solve the pressing issues of our times through innovative solutions for the greater good of mankind.”

Kiran is among the 80 luminaries to be appointed to the RSE’s Fellowship this year. Fellows are elected to join the RSE from across the sciences, arts, education, business, and public life in recognition of their impact on improving the world around them.

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The RSE Fellowship is split into four broad sectors, covering the full range of physical and life sciences, arts, humanities, social sciences, education, professions, industry, business and public life. This year’s cohort represents the diversity of expertise within Scotland and the UK with leaders from business, tech, legal & other sectors.

As Founder of Biocon, an innovation-led global biopharmaceuticals enterprise, Kiran's vision and work have drawn global recognition both for Indian industry and her company.

She has been recognised with two of India’s highest civilian honours, the Padma Shri (1989) and the Padma Bhushan (2005). She has been conferred with the Order of Australia, Australia’s highest civilian honour, in 2020 and appointed Knight of the National Order of the French Legion of Honour in 2016. She was named EY World Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020. In 2014, she was honoured with the Othmer Gold Medal by the U.S.-based Chemical Heritage Foundation. The same year, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Germany, awarded her the Global Economy Prize.