AzP
Mumbai
Wipro
Azim Premji
21, grieving, suddenly running a soap factory. He turned a small soap company into India's largest software exporter and then gave most of it away.
FrugalLong-term thinkerPhilanthropy-first
Struggles
Took over a company shareholders wanted him to sell. Pivoted into IT when nobody believed Indian software could matter.
Family
Married to Yasmeen. Two sons, Rishad and Tariq. Famously lived in modest homes despite billions.
The full story
From day one to today.
The journey
Milestones, not magic.
1966
Left Stanford mid-degree to take over family's vegetable-oil business after father's death.
1980
Pivoted Wipro into computer hardware — IBM had just left India.
2001
Became India's richest man during the IT boom.
2019
Pledged 67% of his wealth — over ₹1.45 lakh crore — to philanthropy.
Wins
- Built Wipro into a defining brand from Mumbai.
Setbacks
- Took over a company shareholders wanted him to sell. Pivoted into IT when nobody believed Indian software could matter.
News, interviews & references
Read, watch, dig deeper.
Live links — open the latest articles, interviews and profiles about Azim Premji across the web.
Next journey
Shiv Nadar — HCL Technologies