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Azim Premji
Status
Born in 1945 (age –). Living in Bangalore, India.
Criminal status: No personal convictions; suits filed through NGO India Awake for Transparency characterized as frivolous by Karnataka High Court and closed by Supreme Court (2022); labor law case quashed by Allahabad High Court (2024)
Summary
Azim Hashim Premji built Wipro from a small vegetable oil company into one of India's largest IT services firms, then stepped back as Executive Chairman in July 2019. He took over the family business at age 21 after his father's death in 1966, and returned to Stanford in 1996 to complete the engineering degree he had abandoned three decades earlier. He now holds the title of Founder Chairman in a non-executive capacity, while his son Rishad Premji leads Wipro as Chairman.
Premji has committed more than $21 billion in Wipro shares to the Azim Premji Foundation, which funds public education, health, and social development in India. In 2013, he became the first Indian to sign the Giving Pledge, a commitment to give away the majority of one's wealth championed by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.
Business Relationships
Premji joined the Giving Pledge in 2013, connecting him to the global philanthropic network organized around the initiative led by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. He became the first Indian signatory and the third non-American to do so.
Ownership
Premji controls Wipro and its affiliated entities through a structure of private trusts and charitable foundations. By 2019, he had transferred 67% of Wipro's economic ownership to the Azim Premji Foundation. He also manages PremjiInvest, a family office established in 2006 that oversees more than $10 billion in assets across private equity, public markets, and fund investments.
Family & Heirs
Premji is married to Yasmeen Premji, an author and philanthropist actively engaged with the Azim Premji Foundation. They have two sons: Rishad Premji, who succeeded his father as Wipro Chairman in July 2019, and Tariq Premji. Rishad also chairs the Azim Premji Foundation, extending the family's commitment to both corporate leadership and philanthropic work.
Evidence
2010-06-17 - 😇 - Premji launches Wipro Eco-Energy and Wipro Water divisions, championing ecology as the defining social and business imperative of the coming decades
2010-12-02 - 😇 - Premji pledges $2 billion in Wipro shares to fund school education philanthropy in India
2013-02-23 - 😇 - Becomes first Indian to sign the Giving Pledge; donates an additional $2.3 billion (12% Wipro stake) to Azim Premji Foundation
2015-07-09 - 😇 - Donates additional 18% Wipro stake to charity, bringing his total philanthropic endowment to 39% of Wipro shares
2019-03-13 - 😇 - Foundation endowment reaches $21 billion as Premji donates an additional $7.5 billion (34% Wipro stake), reducing his own fortune by 80%
2020-04-02 - 😇 - Commits Rs 1,000 crore ($134 million) through Azim Premji Foundation for COVID-19 pandemic relief across India
2020-05-17 - 😇 - Publicly defends workers rights against state labor law dilutions during COVID-19 lockdown, calling suspensions unjust and dysfunctional
2024-07-20 - 😇 - Foundation signs MoU with Karnataka government to fund daily nutritious eggs in mid-day meals for 55 lakh government school students
2024-10-11 - 😇 - Foundation grants Rs 500 crore to Christian Medical College Vellore to build a medical college and teaching hospital in Andhra Pradesh
2025-05-20 - 😇 - Named to TIME100 Philanthropy list; foundation has helped 8 million children and distributed $109 million in grants to 940 organizations in 2023-24
2026-01-09 - 😇 - Foundation announces annual scholarship for girls in higher education across 18 states and 1 union territory in India for 2025-26
2026-06-26 - 😇 - Azim Premji University publishes Realising Rights handbook offering rights-based policy analysis of India welfare system across 18 chapters
Analysis
Premji's record is defined by one of the largest personal philanthropic commitments in the history of Asian wealth. His donations to the Azim Premji Foundation span more than fifteen years and multiple transfers — from an initial $2 billion in 2010 to a total of $21 billion by 2019 — funding public education for millions of children, a university, and grants to nearly a thousand partner organizations. His public advocacy for workers' rights during COVID-era labor law suspensions, his early environmental leadership through Wipro's eco-energy divisions, and the Foundation's medical education grants and child nutrition programs add further constructive weight across multiple domains.
Legal challenges brought against Premji between 2020 and 2024 were characterized as frivolous by Indian courts and dismissed or quashed, leaving no credible adverse finding against him. In one such matter, the Supreme Court specifically praised Premji for taking a constructive, compassionate view and forgiving the litigant who had filed more than 70 cases against him, rather than pursuing further legal action.
Questions
How will Wipro's workforce practices and ethical standards evolve under Rishad Premji's leadership, without the direct influence of the founder who championed them? As Premji steps further from active business management, how will the Foundation's governance and programmatic mission be sustained over the long term?
Redemption Arc
Premji's philanthropic commitment has deepened steadily over more than two decades — from a $125 million initial transfer in 2001 to more than $21 billion by 2019, with the Foundation's grantmaking and programmatic reach continuing to expand through 2026. His public record shows no reversal.