Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is an Indian entrepreneur, the founder of the biopharmaceutical company Biocon, and a prominent philanthropist. Her philanthropic activities focus on education, healthcare, and environmental conservation, and she has been recognized globally for her contributions to society. In this essay, I will discuss the reasons why Kiran Mazumdar Shaw took up philanthropic activities.
Firstly, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has always been passionate about giving back to society. She has stated in interviews that her parents instilled in her the importance of giving and serving others, and this has been a guiding principle throughout her life. She believes that those who have been fortunate enough to achieve success in their careers have a responsibility to use their resources to make a positive impact on society. This sense of social responsibility is a key factor that motivated her to take up philanthropy.
Secondly, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has seen firsthand the impact that poverty and inequality can have on individuals and communities. Growing up in India, she witnessed the struggles of those who lacked access to basic healthcare and education, and this inspired her to pursue a career in biotechnology to help address these issues. However, she realized that the problems were too big for any one person or company to solve alone, and that philanthropy was an important way to complement her business efforts.
Thirdly, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has been influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, who emphasized the importance of service to others and the idea that true happiness comes from giving rather than receiving. She has cited Gandhi as a role model and has said that his philosophy has influenced her approach to business and philanthropy. For her, philanthropy is not just about giving money, but about making a positive impact on the lives of others.
Fourthly, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has recognized that investing in education, healthcare, and the environment is not only a moral imperative, but also a smart business decision. By supporting education and healthcare initiatives, she is helping to create a healthier and more educated workforce that can contribute to the growth of her business and the economy as a whole. By promoting environmental conservation, she is also contributing to the sustainability of the planet and ensuring a healthy future for generations to come.
In conclusion, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's philanthropic activities are motivated by a sense of social responsibility, a desire to address poverty and inequality, the influence of Mahatma Gandhi's teachings, and a recognition of the importance of investing in education, healthcare, and the environment. Her contributions have had a significant impact on society, and she continues to inspire others to follow her example. As she has said, "Philanthropy is not about giving away money, it's about investing in the future of our society."
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Answer:
Ans. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw looked upon failure as a temporary setback
and thought the best way to deal with failure was to pick yourself up,
dust yourself off and try again, again and again. She was not able to act
according to what she thought about failure because she never gave up,
however difficult the obstacles were. When she returned to India after
her education in Australia, she was disappointed to see that there were
no jobs for women in the brewing industry. When she wanted to start
Biocon, she had to face many hurdles. Banks did not want to give her
loans, people were unwilling to be recruited and companies did not wish
to do business with her because she was a 25-year old woman who was
trying to sell products based on a novel science called Biotechnology.
She overcame every failure, every hurdle to make Biocon, a leader in using biotechnology for the benefit of society. She made a every failure
to learn something new.
2. Why do you think she took up philanthropic activities too?
Ans. Kiran took up philanthropic activities too because she wanted to
make a difference to the society in which lived. She did not want to be
just a successful entrepreneur earning money but she wanted to use a
part of the profits to help people who were poor and in need. She
wanted to use biotechnology to produce medicines at affordable cost so
that many people had accept to medicines which were earlier affordable
only to rich. She wanted to participate in the governance of the city
which had given her so much, she wished to improve the lot of the rural
communities by providing them with better infrastructure. All these
factors motivated her to take up philanthropic activities.
3. What is the importance of facing up to challenges even if you fail?
Give reasons for your answer.
Ans. Facing up the challenges makes you realise the hidden potential
you have in yourself. Challenges spur you on to overcome failure. They
give you a sense of purpose. You start thinking of ways and means to
explore the possibilities you have before you. You innovate, you come
up with different ideas and strategies to accomplish your goal. You are
driven by determination and resolve to make it to the finishing line,
however arduous the race. Thus, even if you fail, challenges help you
become more tenacious and you strive harder to achieve your
objectives. They instil in you the courage needed setbacks and succeed.
4. Summarise her views about leadership and its qualities.
Ans. According to Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, true leaders are visionaries
with a sense of purpose, who persevere and have a passion for change.
They know that leadership is not about control but being able to inspire
people with values and vision. Real leaders are those who spot
opportunities where others see challenges. They are committed to
creating value from these opportunities, not just for their organisations
but also for society at large. It is only through a commitment to
humanity and a passion to make a difference that true leadership is
born. A leader should also have the courage of conviction and should be a risk-taker and an innovator. A leader should have the passion to make
a difference and should be driven by a sense of commitment. True
leaders are rarely conformists. Self-belief and hard work are the
distinguishing qualities of a leader.
5. ‘A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step.’ Explain this
quote by Lao-Tzu using examples from the text.
Ans. This quote is perfectly true in the case of Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw,
who is a pioneer in the field of biotechnology. She started with a small
step – a fascination for science, set up Biocon in makeshift garage in
Bengaluru and her journey of thousand miles started. She has to
overcome many hurdles in her journey as a businesswoman but her
perseverance, self-belief and optimism pulled her through everytime.
She had the courge of conviction to follow her star, she wanted to make
a difference in the society and she wanted to use biotechnology to heal
the world and she achieved all her objectives. Today, Biocon is globally
recognized and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is counted as one of the most
successful entrepreneurs in the world. The single bold step she took has
made a difference to the world of the poor and the needy, improved the
lot of the rural communities and brought in remarkable changes in the
governance of the city she lives in.
Answer:
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is an Indian entrepreneur, the founder of the biopharmaceutical company Biocon, and a prominent philanthropist. Her philanthropic activities focus on education, healthcare, and environmental conservation, and she has been recognized globally for her contributions to society. In this essay, I will discuss the reasons why Kiran Mazumdar Shaw took up philanthropic activities.
Firstly, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has always been passionate about giving back to society. She has stated in interviews that her parents instilled in her the importance of giving and serving others, and this has been a guiding principle throughout her life. She believes that those who have been fortunate enough to achieve success in their careers have a responsibility to use their resources to make a positive impact on society. This sense of social responsibility is a key factor that motivated her to take up philanthropy.
Secondly, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has seen firsthand the impact that poverty and inequality can have on individuals and communities. Growing up in India, she witnessed the struggles of those who lacked access to basic healthcare and education, and this inspired her to pursue a career in biotechnology to help address these issues. However, she realized that the problems were too big for any one person or company to solve alone, and that philanthropy was an important way to complement her business efforts.
Thirdly, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has been influenced by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, who emphasized the importance of service to others and the idea that true happiness comes from giving rather than receiving. She has cited Gandhi as a role model and has said that his philosophy has influenced her approach to business and philanthropy. For her, philanthropy is not just about giving money, but about making a positive impact on the lives of others.
Fourthly, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has recognized that investing in education, healthcare, and the environment is not only a moral imperative, but also a smart business decision. By supporting education and healthcare initiatives, she is helping to create a healthier and more educated workforce that can contribute to the growth of her business and the economy as a whole. By promoting environmental conservation, she is also contributing to the sustainability of the planet and ensuring a healthy future for generations to come.
In conclusion, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's philanthropic activities are motivated by a sense of social responsibility, a desire to address poverty and inequality, the influence of Mahatma Gandhi's teachings, and a recognition of the importance of investing in education, healthcare, and the environment. Her contributions have had a significant impact on society, and she continues to inspire others to follow her example. As she has said, "Philanthropy is not about giving away money, it's about investing in the future of our society."