Azim Premji

Azim Hashim Premji
Azim Hashim Premji
Born	Azim Hashim Premji; July 24, 1945 (age 81); Bombay, British India
Other names	Czar of India’s IT sector
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, philanthropist
Years active	1966–present
Known for	Founder and former chairman of Wipro Limited; philanthropy through Azim Premji Foundation; Chancellor of Azim Premji University

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Azim Premji, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Azim Hashim Premji (born 24 July 1945) is a prominent Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist, recognized as the founder and former chairman of Wipro Limited. He currently holds the position of a non-executive director on the company’s board. Often referred to as the Czar of India’s IT sector, Premji guided Wipro through extensive diversification over four decades, transforming it into a globally renowned software enterprise. In 2010, Asiaweek ranked him among the 20 most influential men worldwide. He has twice been featured in Time magazine’s 100 most influential people lists (2004 and 2011) and consistently appears in The 500 Most Influential Muslims. Additionally, he serves as Chancellor of Azim Premji University in Bangalore and was honored with the Padma Vibhushan award in 2011.

As of December 2024, Forbes and Bloomberg estimate his net worth at $14.3 billion and $35.9 billion respectively. In 2013, Premji committed to the Giving Pledge, pledging to donate at least half of his fortune, initiating this with a $2.2 billion endowment to the Azim Premji Foundation, which focuses on education initiatives in India. He topped the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List in 2020. Due to significant charitable contributions, he dropped from second to seventeenth place on the Forbes India Rich list in 2019. By October 2024, Premji was ranked nineteenth among India’s wealthiest individuals by Forbes, with an estimated net worth of $32.2 billion.

Early life and education

Born in Bombay, British India, Premji hails from a Gujarati Ismaili Muslim background. His father, Muhammed Hashim Premji, was a notable businessman famously known as the Rice King of Burma. Despite receiving an invitation from Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, to relocate there, his father chose to remain in India.

Premji earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He is married to Yasmeen Premji, and their son, Rishad Premji, currently holds the position of Chairman at Wipro.

Career

In 1945, Muhammed Hashim Premji launched Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd in Amalner, Maharashtra, which initially produced cooking oil under the Sunflower Vanaspati brand and laundry soap named 787. After his father’s passing in 1966, Azim Premji returned from Stanford at age 21 to assume leadership of the company. Originally specializing in hydrogenated oils, he expanded operations into bakery fats, ethnic toiletries, hair care soaps, baby care items, lighting products, and hydraulic cylinders.

Identifying opportunities within the burgeoning IT industry during the 1980s and leveraging IBM’s withdrawal from India, he rebranded the enterprise as Wipro and ventured into high-technology manufacturing by producing minicomputers through a partnership with Sentinel Computer Corporation. Over time, Premji transitioned Wipro’s primary focus from consumer goods to software services.

In 2006, he founded PremjiInvest (PI), his family office overseeing investments spanning venture capital, private equity, and public equities. By 2024, PremjiInvest had broadened its portfolio with major investments targeting AI-driven technologies.

In 2022, legal proceedings were initiated by a Bengaluru court against Azim Premji concerning alleged corruption charges.

Recognition

Premji earned the title of one of the "Greatest Entrepreneurs" by Business Week for steering Wipro to rank among the globe’s most rapidly expanding firms.
In 2000, he was conferred an honorary doctorate by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, followed by the Lakshya Business Visionary award from the National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai, in 2006.
For his significant impact on trade and commerce, the Government of India bestowed upon him the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
Wesleyan University honored Premji with an honorary doctorate in 2009 recognizing his philanthropic contributions; later, in 2015, Mysore University granted him a similar distinction.

The prestigious Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor, was awarded to him in 2011.
In 2017, India Today placed him ninth on its list of India’s 50 Most Powerful Individuals.
The French Government recognized his achievements with the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) in 2018, their top civilian accolade.
In December 2019, Forbes acknowledged Premji as one of Asia-Pacific’s "Heroes of Philanthropy," also listing him among the world’s leading philanthropists outside the United States.

Azim Premji Foundation

Established in 2001, the Azim Premji Foundation is dedicated to advancing educational standards across India’s schools.
In a landmark move in December 2010, Premji committed US$2 billion by transferring 213 million shares of Wipro Ltd to the Azim Premji Trust—representing India’s largest donation of its nature at that time. By March 2019, he increased this commitment by pledging an additional 34% stake in Wipro, valued at approximately US$7.5 billion, raising his total philanthropic endowment to US$21 billion.
In May 2020, the foundation collaborated with the National Centre for Biological Sciences and the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine to bolster COVID-19 testing capabilities.
Additionally, the foundation actively cautions against fraudulent solicitations for donations.

The Giving Pledge

Premji, who has consistently shown limited interest in personal wealth accumulation, became the first Indian to join the Giving Pledge—an initiative spearheaded by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates urging billionaires to allocate most of their fortunes to charitable causes. He is notably the third non-U.S. signatory following Richard Branson and David Sainsbury.

By April 2013, he had donated over a quarter of his personal fortune. In July 2015, he contributed another 18% stake in Wipro to philanthropic efforts, elevating his total donations to nearly 39%. As of 2019, his lifetime giving amounted to US$21 billion, establishing him as India’s foremost philanthropist.

EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List

On November 10, 2020, Azim Premji was ranked highest on Hurun India and EdelGive's "India's Most Generous" list after donating ₹79.04 billion during FY2019–20—a remarkable increase from ₹4.53 billion in FY19. His charitable focus remains primarily on education initiatives. He retained this top position in FY21 with contributions totaling ₹9,713 crore (approximately US$1.33 billion).

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