Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw conferred "Knight of the Legion of Honour"
Biotech pioneer Kiran Mazumdar Shaw conferred with highest French distinction “Knight of the Legion of Honour” in recognition of her outstanding contribution and dedication to the Biosciences and innovative research in this field.
New Delhi, 22 October 2016
On behalf of the President of the French Republic, H.E. Mr Alexandre Ziegler, Ambassador of France to India,conferred the highest French civilian distinction, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour), on Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon Limited.
The honour comes in recognition of her outstanding contribution and dedication to the Biosciences and innovative research in this field. It also salutes her pioneering achievements in biotechnology and commitment to providing affordable, quality healthcare globally.
Speaking on the occasion of the investiture ceremony, Ambassador Alexandre Ziegler said, “It is an honour for me to confer the Légion d’Honneur on Ms Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, a pioneering entrepreneur in biotechnology and research. By providing innovative and affordable treatment for widespread diseases like diabetes, cancer, and auto-immune diseases, she has made a laudable difference to the lives of many.”
Accepting the award, Ms Mazumdar-Shaw said, “I am deeply humbled and filled with joy to receive this great honour from French Government. I am thankful to the selection committee and French Government for bestowing the ‘Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur’ on me. Certainly, I shall cherish this award for rest of my life. France has a very special place in my heart since both my sisters-in-law are French. Moreover, I do believe that India and France are natural partners in Biosciences and Research. I owe this recognition to my wonderful team at Biocon who have joined me in my mission to harness the power of Biotechnology to provide affordable access to life saving biopharmaceuticals for Cancer and Diabetes”.