Dr. Swati Piramal is the Vice-Chairperson of Piramal Group, a global conglomerate with interests in pharmaceuticals, financial services, and real estate. One of India’s most respected scientists and industrialists, Dr. Piramal has significantly contributed to innovations in healthcare, public policy, and socioeconomic development.
Over the past three decades, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the Indian pharmaceutical industry by championing cost-effective, science-based healthcare solutions. She founded the Gopikrishna Piramal Memorial Hospital and led national health campaigns, while contributing to drug development, public health policy, and regulatory affairs. Her work has driven major healthcare reforms through impactful writings on intellectual property, patents, and data protection.
As Director of Piramal Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Piramal Group, Dr. Swati Piramal drives innovative, long-term solutions to address key development challenges in India, focusing on rural healthcare, women’s empowerment, education reform, and sustainable access to safe drinking water. Under her leadership, the Foundation collaborates with governments and global partners like NITI Aayog, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to build scalable public-private partnerships aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr. Piramal has received numerous prestigious accolades and recognitions for her contributions to business, science, healthcare, and public service, including the Padma Shri in 2012, Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (Knight of the Order of Merit) in 2006, and Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) in 2022. In 2023, she was inducted into the Business Today Hall of Fame. She was named one of Business Today’s 25 Most Powerful Women in India for eight consecutive years (2003–2011). She was honoured with the ‘Business Leader of the Year’ Award by Hello Hall of Fame (2019), the First Ladies Award by the President of India (2018), and the ‘Woman of the Year’ Award by the IMC Ladies’ Wing (2016). In 2011, she was inducted into Fortune India’s Hall of Fame – Most Powerful Women in Business, received the Global Empowerment Award (UK) from Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Kent, and was recognized by the President of India for her contributions to corporate governance.
She currently serves on the boards of Allergan India and EssilorLuxottica, and is a member of the Board of Governors at Sidra Medicine, Qatar Foundation (2019–present). She previously served as a Director on the Board of Nestlé India until March 2014 and on the Board of Dean’s Advisors to the Harvard Business School until 2024. Dr. Piramal also holds long-standing academic affiliations, serving since 2010 with Harvard University, including as a Member of the Board of Dean’s Advisors at the Harvard School of Public Health (2010–present) and the Harvard Business School (2011–2024), and as a Member of the Harvard Board of Overseers (2012–2018).
Dr. Piramal holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the Harvard Business School, in addition to a Medical Degree (M.B.B.S) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery from University of Mumbai, India.
