On the occasion of International Women’s Day, IndiaMedToday speaks to Dr Priya Kapoor G Hingorani, a global biotechnology leader helping shape the future of precision and personalised medicine from India to the wider Asia‑Pacific region. As Managing Director of Miltenyi Biotec India, she has witnessed women in biotech move from the lab bench to the boardroom, driving innovation in cell and gene therapies, advanced manufacturing, and cross‑border collaborations. In this candid email interaction, she reflects on the opportunities and barriers for women in STEM, how Miltenyi Biotec is building India’s cell and gene therapy ecosystem, and why women’s voices are essential to designing the next generation of cancer and healthcare solutions.
1. How do you view the growing presence and influence of women in India’s biotechnology and life sciences sector today?
I truly believe we are at a defining moment for women in India’s biotechnology and life sciences sector. Over the years, we have seen women move from being strong contributors in research labs to becoming founders, decision-makers, and ecosystem builders. Today, with women constituting nearly 40% of the pharmaceutical workforce, their influence across R&D, manufacturing, and leadership is both visible and impactful.
What gives me confidence is the structural support that now exists. Initiatives by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Department of Biotechnology have created real pathways for women scientists and entrepreneurs, whether through funding, bio-incubation platforms like BioNEST, or programs such as BioCARe. These initiatives are helping bridge career gaps and encouraging more women to take entrepreneurial risks.
At Miltenyi Biotec, I see firsthand how inclusive leadership strengthens scientific excellence. For me, the real progress lies not just in representation, but in creating ecosystems where women can lead boldly, think entrepreneurially, and build solutions that have both local relevance and global impact.
2. What barriers still prevent women from advancing from STEM roles to senior leadership, and how can organizations close this gap?
A few interesting stats I want to share – despite India having a high rate of female STEM graduates (43%), women are in 14% of STEM jobs and nearly 40% of positions in pharmaceutical and healthcare biotech. Progress may still be gradual, but it is real – the pipeline of talent is strong. By bringing both competence, mentorship and compassion to leadership, our task is to ensure that the talent finds pathways to leadership.
What gives me confidence today is seeing women not waiting for opportunities but creating them. Unlike when we started the journey, women in STEM and healthcare careers were limited. Surprisingly, the common denominators of challenges have not changed over the last two decades. But the support system has stepped up and therefore makes the women’s career and professional curves work in sync to help achieve their goals.
3. How is Miltenyi Biotec helping shape the future of precision and personalized medicine in India and the Asia‑Pacific region?
At Miltenyi Biotec, we are consciously building the foundation for precision medicine in India by investing in advanced therapy infrastructure and ecosystem development. Our Cell & Gene Therapy Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad’s Genome Valley is designed to give researchers and clinicians access to state-of-the-art platforms for CAR-T and other personalized therapies, accelerating local innovation. At the same time, our collaborations with the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Translational Health Science & Technology Institute (THSTI) focus on structured, hands-on GMP-aligned training to strengthen India’s clinical cell manufacturing capabilities and build a future-ready scientific workforce.
Equally important is ensuring that innovation translates into real patient impact. Through strategic partnerships and pilot clinical collaborations with Indian institutions, we are supporting locally developed CAR-T and other cell therapies that are more accessible and cost-effective. Beyond India, our growing engagement across Asia Pacific is enabling wider access to advanced cellular therapies for autoimmune diseases, fostering cross-border scientific collaboration, and positioning the region and especially India as an emerging hub for precision and personalized medicine.
Our Biomedicine arm is bringing revolutionary CART therapies for areas like liquid tumors, AID and many neurological disorders. This space is getting exciting and it has only just begun!
4. What role do you see technologies like genomics, AI, and data analytics playing in transforming healthcare innovation?
In Cell and Gene Therapy, genomics allows us to better understand disease biology and design highly targeted treatments. At Miltenyi Biotec, we are actively integrating AI into molecular design and binder development, areas where machine learning can process complexity beyond human capability. We also see significant potential for AI in clinical trial design and data management.
The opportunity lies in responsibly harnessing these technologies to accelerate development, enhance precision and ultimately expand patient access to advanced therapies.
5. What qualities or leadership values have helped you succeed in managing diverse teams across international markets?
Leading diverse teams across international markets requires clarity of vision, cultural intelligence and decision execution. In healthcare and biotechnology, where our work directly impacts patients’ lives, aligning global teams around a shared purpose is essential. Combining scientific rigor with empathy, while setting high performance standards and creating trust, enables strong cross-border collaboration. Respecting local market realities, yet maintaining global quality and compliance benchmarks, has been critical to sustainable growth. Above all, resilience in navigating uncertainty and the ability to build empowered, accountable leadership teams across borders have been central to driving meaningful, long-term impact.
6. How can mentorship and inclusion programs be strengthened to cultivate more women leaders in science and healthcare?
Mentorship and inclusion must move from intent to structure. I’ve experienced how mentorship, cross-border exposure and clear leadership pathways make a tangible difference. We need structured sponsorship programmes where senior leaders actively advocate for high-potential women, transparent promotion criteria, and flexible policies that acknowledge different life stages. Equally important is visible representation. Women in decision-making roles inspire confidence and ambition. With women comprising over 30% of India’s biotechnology industry, the focus now must be on retention, progression and creating environments where diverse leadership styles are valued.
7. What opportunities do global collaborations between biotech firms and Indian research institutions create for accelerating innovation?
Global collaborations create a powerful bridge between India’s scientific depth and global translational expertise. India has built a strong early-stage innovation base through institutions such as the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council – Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (BRIC -THSTI).
At Miltenyi Biotec, we are actively collaborating with such institutions to strengthen cell and gene therapy capabilities in India. We see our role as complementing academic and startup innovation with end-to-end expertise across manufacturing, quality systems and regulatory alignment. When these elements come together early, innovation moves faster, risks are reduced, and therapies developed in India can meet global standards while serving local patient needs.
8. What message would you like to share with young women aspiring to build impactful careers in biotechnology and healthcare this Women’s Day?
On this Women’s Day, my message to aspiring women in biotechnology and healthcare is that their voice and perspective are vital to shaping the future of medicine. This is an industry where scientific excellence must be matched with a strong sense of purpose, because the work we do ultimately impacts human lives.
You do not need to fit a predefined mould to lead. True leadership is grounded in curiosity, resilience, collaboration, and integrity. At Miltenyi Biotec, I have witnessed how diverse teams drive meaningful innovation. Lead with confidence, build opportunities and support your peers. The momentum is real, and the next chapter will be written by you.
