Dr. Swati Piramal is the Vice-Chairperson of Piramal Group, a global business conglomerate with diverse interests in pharmaceuticals, financial services, and real estate. Dr. Piramal is amongst India’s leading scientists and industrialists whose contributions to innovations, new medicines and public health services have touched many lives.

In addition to playing a pivotal role in guiding and implementing policies on improving public healthcare in India, Dr. Piramal’s special skills on public policies and socio-economic development have also resulted in her significantly contributing towards government relations and regulatory affairs, new product development, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, entrepreneurship, and new product launches.

Over the past three decades, Dr. Piramal’s efforts towards providing cost-effective and science-based healthcare globally have significantly contributed to shaping the Indian pharmaceutical industry. She founded the Gopikrishna Piramal Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and was instrumental in launching several pan-India public health campaigns against chronic diseases. Dr. Piramal has authored several books on nutrition and health, including one for patients with renal disease and related disorders, and has written public policy papers on topics such as patent protection, intellectual property, and data protection. Her strong influence on important public policies and governance on healthcare and related issues, is widely recognized and has led to major policy changes that have helped reduce the burden of disease.

As the Director of Piramal Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Piramal Group, Dr. Piramal is deeply involved in developing innovative long-term and scalable solutions to resolve issues that are critical roadblocks towards unlocking India’s economic potential. She spearheads the efforts of the Foundation towards effective public policy and governance that enables successful private-public-partnerships (PPP models) to effectively solve problems and help meet India’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Dr. Piramal has played a significant role in establishing avenues that promote primary healthcare in rural India, developing frameworks for women empowerment and enabling systemic transformation of India’s public education system by realizing the potential of young leaders of tomorrow, and promoting sustainable models for facilitating access to safe drinking water. Under the leadership of Dr. Piramal, the initiatives of Piramal Foundation work cohesively with the central and state governments, as well as through collaborations with NITI Aayog, The Rockefeller Foundation and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, amongst several others.

In 2022, Dr. Piramal was awarded with the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) for her contributions in the fields of business and industry, science, medicine, and towards strengthening Indo-French ties. She is a recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Padma Shri in 2012, and the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (Knight of the Order of Merit), France’s second highest civilian honour, in 2006. She was also inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ by Business Today in 2023.

Dr. Piramal holds key positions on the boards of several companies and prestigious institutions. She is a Director on the Board of Nestle India, Allergan India and EssilorLuxottica; and is a Board Member of Dean’s Advisors to the Harvard Business School and the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Piramal has also served on various advisory council boards of industry, trade, science and research, art and technology, as well as on the boards of Indian and international academic institutions that include IIT Bombay, Xavier’s College, Mumbai, University of Pennsylvania, IITB-Monash, Harvard School of Public Health and the Harvard Business School. She has served on the board of various banks including ICICI Bank, SBI Capital Markets, ICICI Prudential Asset Management, and LIC India. Her international positions include Bankinter Foundation of Innovation Spain, United States Pharmacopoeia and 3i PLC. She has also served as the First Woman President of India’s Apex Chamber of Commerce (ASSOCHAM), in 90 years. She has also een a member or held board positions in Indian Government including Prime Minister’s Trade Advisory Council, Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisory Council, Governing Body of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and many others.

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.