Azim Premji
Born 1945 · Age 80
Indian businessman and philanthropist; long-time chairman and founder-chairman of Wipro Limited; major philanthropist (Azim Premji Foundation) and signatory of the Giving Pledge.
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Life & Career Timeline
Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd. incorporated (father)
Muhammed Hashim Premji (Azim's father) incorporated Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd. in Amalner, Maharashtra, producing vanaspati (Sunflower Vanaspati) and a laundry soap brand '787'.
Birth
Azim Hashim Premji born in Bombay (now Mumbai) into a Gujarati Ismaili Muslim family.
Family chooses to remain in India after Partition
During Partition, although invited by Muhammad Ali Jinnah to move to Pakistan, the Premji family chose to remain in India.
Enrolled at Stanford University (Electrical Engineering)
Azim Premji studied electrical engineering at Stanford University (entry year estimated based on later events).
Returned from Stanford to take charge of family business
On the death of his father (Muhammed Hashim Premji), the 21‑year‑old Azim Premji returned to India and took charge of Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd.
Began diversification of family business
Under Azim Premji's leadership the company diversified from hydrogenated oils into bakery fats, ethnic ingredient-based toiletries, hair-care soaps, baby toiletries, lighting products and hydraulic cylinders.
Company renamed Wipro
Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd. was renamed 'Wipro'. This marked a corporate identity change ahead of the company's push into technology.
Steered Wipro toward computer business after IBM left India
Following the 1979 expulsion/exit of IBM from India, Premji began steering Wipro into the computer hardware/business sector, seeing an opportunity in technology.
Manufactured minicomputers in collaboration with Sentinel
Wipro entered the high-technology sector by manufacturing minicomputers in technological collaboration with the US-based Sentinel Computer Corporation.
Strategic shift from consumer products to software services (1980s)
During the 1980s Premji made a focused strategic shift for Wipro away from soaps and consumer goods toward software and IT services (date approximated to mid-1980s).
Completed Stanford degree via distance-learning
Premji officially completed his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University through a distance-learning arrangement in 1999.
Honorary doctorate from Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Premji was conferred an honorary doctorate by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education.
Founded Azim Premji Foundation
Established the Azim Premji Foundation, a nonprofit focused on improving school education and public education systems in India.
Named among Time's 100 Most Influential People
Premji was listed in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world (first listing in 2004).
Listed regularly among The 500 Most Influential Muslims (ongoing recognition)
For years Premji has been regularly listed among 'The 500 Most Influential Muslims' (recurring recognition across years).
Awarded Padma Bhushan
The Government of India honoured Azim Premji with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to trade and industry.
Set up family office PremjiInvest
Premji established his family office, PremjiInvest (PI), to manage investments across asset classes including venture and private equity.
Lakshya Business Visionary award (NITIE)
Awarded the Lakshya Business Visionary award by the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai.
Recognised by BusinessWeek as one of the 'Greatest Entrepreneurs'
BusinessWeek (and later press coverage) recognised Premji among the world's greatest entrepreneurs for Wipro's rapid growth.
Honorary doctorate from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University conferred an honorary doctorate on Azim Premji for his philanthropic work.
Chancellor of Azim Premji University (role noted)
Azim Premji is noted as the Chancellor of Azim Premji University, Bangalore (the foundation runs the university). Year of appointment not specified in the provided text; inclusion reflects role.
Voted among the 20 Most Powerful Men by Asiaweek
Asiaweek named Premji among the 20 most powerful men in the world.
Pledged US$2 billion to Azim Premji Trust (share transfer)
In December 2010 Premji pledged approximately US$2 billion for education by transferring 213 million Wipro equity shares to the Azim Premji Trust — one of India's largest donations.
Named in Time 100 Most Influential People (second time)
Premji appeared again in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people (2011).
Awarded Padma Vibhushan (investiture)
Received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award (investiture ceremony pictured April 1, 2011).
Signed the Giving Pledge (agreed to give away at least half his wealth)
Premji became the first Indian to sign the Giving Pledge, committing to give away at least half of his wealth over his lifetime.
First Indian to sign the Giving Pledge
Upon signing the Giving Pledge in 2013 Premji became the first Indian to join the initiative led by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates (third non-American at that time).
Donated US$2.3 billion after signing Giving Pledge (reported)
Forbes reported (Feb 23, 2013) that Premji donated about US$2.3 billion after signing the Giving Pledge.
Stated he had given over 25% of his personal wealth
In April 2013 Premji said he had already donated more than 25% of his personal wealth to philanthropic causes.
Honorary doctorate conferred by Mysore University
Mysore University conferred an honorary doctorate on Azim Premji.
Donated additional 18% stake in Wipro (total 39% given)
In July 2015 Premji donated 18% of his Wipro stake to philanthropic causes, taking his total contribution to about 39% of his holdings.
Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy
Azim Premji was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy for his philanthropic contributions and leadership.
Ranked 9th in India's 50 Most Powerful People (India Today)
India Today magazine ranked Azim Premji 9th in its list of India's 50 Most Powerful People in 2017.
Conferred Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur (France)
The French government conferred on Azim Premji the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, its highest civilian distinction.
Pledged additional 34% of Wipro stock to Azim Premji Foundation
In March 2019 Premji pledged another 34% of his Wipro stock to the Azim Premji Foundation. At an indicated valuation then (in reporting) that allotment was worth ~US$7.5 billion and brought the foundation endowment to about US$21 billion.
Named top Indian philanthropist (report)
By April 2019 Premji was reported as the top Indian philanthropist due to his large cumulative donations.
Retired as Executive Chairman of Wipro; baton to son Rishad
On 7 June 2019 Premji retired as Wipro's executive chairman and handed over operational leadership to his son Rishad Premji; he remained founder chairman/non-executive board member.
Drop in Forbes India Rich List ranking after large donations
In October 2019 Premji dropped from 2nd to 17th in the Forbes India Rich List as a result of substantial charitable giving.
Named one of Forbes Asia's 'Heroes of Philanthropy'
Forbes cited Premji among the 'Heroes of Philanthropy' in the Asia-Pacific region in December 2019.
Foundation issues warnings against scam/fraudulent donation emails
The Azim Premji Foundation alerted the public about scam emails falsely claiming to solicit donations in the foundation's name.
Azim Premji Foundation partners with NCBS and inStem on COVID-19 testing
In May 2020 the Azim Premji Foundation collaborated with the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and the Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) to augment COVID‑19 testing infrastructure.
Topped EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List (FY2019–20 donations)
On 10 Nov 2020 Azim Premji topped the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List — donated ₹79.04 billion in FY2019–20 (a 17-fold jump from prior year).
Retained 'India's most generous' tag (FY21 donation)
For FY21 Premji reportedly donated ₹9,713 crore (₹97.13 billion / approx US$1.33 billion), retaining the top spot on the philanthropy list.
Bengaluru court initiates criminal proceedings (alleged corruption)
A court in Bengaluru initiated criminal proceedings against Azim Premji over alleged corruption (reported 28 Jan 2022).
Forbes and Bloomberg net-worth estimates reported (Dec 2024)
As of December 2024 public indexes reported widely differing net‑worth estimates for Premji: Forbes estimated about US$14.3 billion and Bloomberg Billionaires Index reported about US$35.9 billion (reporting divergence noted in sources).
Alternate media net-worth estimate (lower figure reported)
Some outlets (sampled sources) reported other net-worth estimates for Dec 2024 (e.g., ~US$12.3B in one source), reflecting variance in reporting; included with low confidence.
Forbes India ranking – 19th richest in India (Dec 2024)
In December 2024 Forbes ranked Premji 19th among India's 100 richest tycoons with an estimated net worth of US$32.2 billion (source citation in text).
Wipro reported as >US$10 billion revenue organization (corporate milestone)
Wipro is described (company site, updated 2025) as a services organization generating over US$10 billion in revenue with presence in 66 countries; Wipro group companies reported additional revenues around US$2 billion.
Key Achievement Ages
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