Azim Premji, Industrialist, Philanthropist
Industrialist, Philanthropist

Azim Premji

Born 24 July 1945 · Maharashtra

Transforming Wipro into a global IT services powerhouse and pioneering Indian software exports.

Azim Hashim Premji is an Indian billionaire businessman and philanthropist, who was the chairman of Wipro. Premji remains a non-executive member of the board and founder chairman. In 2010, he was voted among the 20 most powerful men in the world by Asiaweek. He was listed among the 100 most influential people by Time magazine, in 2004 and 2011.

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A detail that
surprised us

“

Azim Premji postponed completing his Stanford engineering degree for over 30 years, finally earning it in 1999 after returning to finish via correspondence.

The Story

1
At just 21 years old in 1966, Azim Premji abruptly left Stanford University after his father's sudden death, returning to a small town in Maharashtra to helm a struggling cooking oil company called Western India Vegetable Products Ltd.—little did anyone know this moment would ignite a tech revolution in India.
2
🌟 By the 1980s, after IBM's exit from India, Premji boldly steered Wipro from soaps and vanaspati oils into the uncharted waters of minicomputer manufacturing through a partnership with Sentinel Computer Corporation, marking one of India's earliest forays into IT hardware.
3🚀 In 2001, Premji launched the Azim Premji Foundation with an initial donation of $2.2 billion, aiming to overhaul elementary education across rural India—a mission that soon reached over 16,000 schools with localized, computer-aided learning.
4💰 In 2013, Premji became the first Indian to join the Giving Pledge, committing to donate at least half of his $11.6 billion fortune, a promise he fulfilled by transferring two-thirds of his Wipro shares to his philanthropic trust, reshaping how Indian billionaires engage with social responsibility.

🏅 Awards & Honours

2011
Padma Vibhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

In 1966, at age 21, Premji took charge of a small cooking oil company after his father’s death, setting the stage for Wipro’s transformation into a tech giant.

🖼️

Through the Years

5 photographs from the archives
Azim Premji with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi (2004).
Azim Premji with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi (2004).
2004
Azim Premji speaking at the World Economic Forum's India Economic Summit in New Delhi (2008).
Azim Premji attending the World Economic Forum session on energy in Davos, Switzerland (2013).
Azim Premji awarding a degree at a graduation ceremony in India (2014).
Azim Premji calling on Vice President M. Hamid Ansari in New Delhi (2016).

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Birth of Azim Premji in Bombay
Azim Hashim Premji was born into a Gujarati Ismaili Khoja Muslim family in Bombay, then British India, the same year his father founded Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd.
1945
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Career
Returns from Stanford to lead Wipro
At age 21, Premji returned from Stanford University to India after his father's death and took charge of the cooking oil company, beginning its transformation.
1966
⚡
Career
Wipro enters IT hardware
Following IBM's exit, Premji steered Wipro into manufacturing minicomputers via collaboration with Sentinel Computer Corporation, shifting from consumer goods to tech.
1980
⚡
Career
Launch of Azim Premji Foundation
Premji established his foundation with a $2.2 billion donation to improve rural elementary education across India.
2001
🏅
Award
Named among 20 most powerful men
Asiaweek recognized Premji as one of the 20 most powerful men worldwide, highlighting his influence beyond business.
2010
🏅
Award
Receives Padma Vibhushan
The Government of India honored Premji with the Padma Vibhushan for his contributions to trade, commerce, and philanthropy.
2011
⚡
Career
Joins the Giving Pledge
Premji pledged to donate at least half of his wealth to charity, becoming the first Indian to join this global philanthropic movement.
2013
More moments to come...
+ Add a moment

🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 06
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 2013, Premji signed the Giving Pledge, committing to donate half of his $11.6 billion net worth, starting with a $2.2 billion donation to his foundation focused on education.

02 / 06
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Premji’s philanthropic foundation reached over 8 million children with educational programs by 2024, working through 59 field offices and 263 teacher learning centers across India.

03 / 06
🔍LESSER KNOWN

During the 1980s, Wipro diversified from food products to manufacturing hydraulic cylinders and lighting products, signaling Premji’s early vision for industrial diversification.

No quote recorded for Azim Premji yet.

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Learning from real story (Kindness) - Azim Premji (English)
More from this archive
Learning from real story (Kindness) - Azim Premji (English)
01
Learning from real story (Kindness) - Azim Premji (English)
Azim Premji | गांव से निकली Wipro, आज 66 देशों में कर रही कारोबार |Tycoons Of India| Dr Vivek Bindra
02
Azim Premji | गांव से निकली Wipro, आज 66 देशों में कर रही कारोबार |Tycoons Of India| Dr Vivek Bindra
Azim Premji: The Man Beyond the Billions
03
Azim Premji: The Man Beyond the Billions
What a billionaire wants
04
What a billionaire wants
Students Interacting with Azim Premji
05
Students Interacting with Azim Premji
From Software to Social Change: The Azim Premji Story | Mini DocumentarY #motivation #inspirational
06
From Software to Social Change: The Azim Premji Story | Mini DocumentarY #motivation #inspirational
Nayak With Sanjeev Srivastava - Azim Premji Biography
07
Nayak With Sanjeev Srivastava - Azim Premji Biography
Azim Premji Short Bio 2023
08
Azim Premji Short Bio 2023
Success story of Wipro | Azim Premji | Richest man in india | #viral #trendingshorts #shortsfeed
09
Success story of Wipro | Azim Premji | Richest man in india | #viral #trendingshorts #shortsfeed
Azim Premji
10
Azim Premji

🌱 What changed because of them

Azim Premji transformed a modest cooking oil business into Wipro, a global IT powerhouse, catalyzing India’s emergence as a tech hub. His Azim Premji Foundation revolutionized rural education by integrating technology and teacher training in over 16,000 schools, setting new standards for philanthropic engagement in India. His commitment to donating most of his wealth inspired a new wave of socially responsible Indian entrepreneurship.

💬 Social Buzz

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