Manju Sharma (13 December 1940 – 31 October 2024) was an Indian biotechnologist and administrator of several scientific research and policy-making bodies in India.
She earlier served as the secretary, Department of Biotechnology, in the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology,[1] and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2007.
[5] Sharma graduated from Lucknow University, winning the first rank and receiving the Birbal Sahni Memorial Gold Medal.
Collaborating with A. Carl Leopold and Richard Hall, her research on enhancing latex production through the use of ethereal oil found commercial application in Malaysian rubber plantations.
[5] She was instrumental in the creation of the Biotech Consortium India Limited, a public-private partnership to promote the commercialization of biotechnology research.