Women and Entrepreneurship

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Contd...

Biocon was the first Indian company to get Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the manufacture of fermentation derived molecules for pharmaceutical purposes. The Group boasted of clients like Glaxo Smithkline¹², AstraZeneca¹³ and Bristol Myers Squibb.¹⁴ Mazumdar believed in encouraging an open and supportive culture at Biocon. The company had a flat organizational structure and anybody in the organization, from the gardeners to the presidents, had equal access to her. She said, "The moment you start building boundaries, you destroy open culture."¹⁵ She believed that motivation comes from empowerment, and consequently, she encouraged her employees to challenge themselves and solve their own problems.

In the initial years of the business, Mazumdar believed in employing more women than men in her company. But she realized that a large number of women eventually succumbed to societal or family pressures and stopped working. She therefore decided to recruit on the competency parameter alone. The ratio of women to men in Biocon was 1.5: 4 in 2002. A lot of key positions were occupied by women, but men were also well represented in the core team.

Biocon also set up a crèche, so that women employees could bring their small children to work. The company thus relieved them of at least one of the pressures they had to face. Biocon was very successful in retaining employees. Most of the core team had been there for 10 years or more.

Nirupa Bareja, the head of human resources, said, "I can't think of working for another company. It's either Biocon or nowhere."¹⁶ Biocon created a culture in which employees could grow and develop. This helped the company attract and retain the best talent in the country. Biocon also gave importance to customer relations. It did not simply sell the customer a product; it sold a product as well as a service. "We do not just provide the customer with a product.

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12] Glaxo Smithkline is the world's leading research based pharmaceutical company. It is headquartered in UK and its operations are based in USA.

13] Astra Zeneca Plc was formed in April 1999 with the merger of Astra AB of Sweden and Zeneca Group PLC of UK. One of the prominent pharmaceutical companies in the world, Astra Zeneca is headquartered in London.

14] Bristol-Myers Squibb was created in 1989 through a merger between Bristol-Myers and Squibb. The merger created the second largest pharmaceutical company at that time. The company is headquartered in New York.

15] Bio Spectrum India

16] Business World December 2, 2002

Case Details

Case Code : LDEN013
Themes: Corporate Social Responsibility, Woman Entrepreneurs
Case Length : 13 Pages
Period : -
Organization : Mahila Griha Udyog, Balaji Telefilms Limited, Biocon
Pub Date : 2003
Teaching Note : Available
Countries : India
Industry : Varied

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