Titled 'Mythbreaker -- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and the Story of Indian Biotech', and authored by renowned Journalist Ms Seema Singh, the 336-page book chronicles the entire history of Biotechnology in India.

The book has been published by HarperCollins Publishers and is priced at Rs 599.

"This book has been written in such a way that," said Dr Kiran Mazumdar, "everyone one who reads it will find something that they can relate to, and something I'm sure every entrepreneur will relate to. Things haven't changed much in India ever since I became an entrepreneur and started Biocon. It is still very challenging to start and build a biotech company in this country. We have not really done justice to the business of science. This country needs to pay a lot more attention to the power of science and technology. This country has to enable biotechnology and the business of science which are unfortunately not enabled as yet. The ecosystem to build a business based on science and technology is still very challenging in the country."

She says that when it comes to Biotech, it is not just about venture capitalist (VC) funding.

"It is about the regulatory environment, policy enablement and lots of other things which have not been done in our country for this sector. I have spent the last 38 years trying to build this business to bring it to this level, which is Asia's largest biotech enterprise today," she commented.

Recalling her entrepreneurial experience since the inception of Biocon in the 70s, Dr Kiran added, "The crux of the matter is it's been a very hard and tough journey. I take on a battle everyday trying to solve some challenge. I know how tough it is for entrepreneurs to build this business. And biotech especially is very tough because there are so many unknowns about biotech from the point of policy and regulations."

At the launch, it was recalled that Dr Kiran's mother, Mrs Yamini Mazumdar became an entrepreneur at the age of 68.

Appreciating Ms Seema's efforts, Dr Kiran voiced, "When u chronicle the history, it's tough to make it readable. She (Seema) has chronicled the whole biotech history in this country and how this sector has been built over the years. She has done a great job."

Dr Kiran added a piece of advice to Biotech entrepreneurs at the book launch.

"Every entrepreneur should remember that it is not about the technology. You can have a not-so-great technology but if you can convert it and take it to the market you can do wonders. For me as an entrepreneur I'd say the biggest milestone was when I made an enzyme, and I wanted to export the product in the first year and I kept focused on that. You can have the best technology but get fixated on making it a commercial success," she emphasized.

She feels that India's Life Sciences sector is not much focused on product development research.

"We don't have enough research in product development. I think we are a services- and low-risk-oriented country. And we are basically happy with imitation. There are companies making millions by making generic drugs but won't invest a couple of crores in researching new drugs says it all," she pointed.

Speaking about the book, Ms Seema added, "It's a journalistic effort which tries to provide a running account of one large company and not-so-large companies, officials and policies. ..In the end it has been a rewarding experience, and Kiran has been extremely patient and generous in sharing her experiences..."