Imagine you’re a young student, just 21 years old, studying in a foreign country. Suddenly, your father passes away, and you have to fly back home to take over the family business. That’s exactly what happened to Azim Premji in 1966. What started as a small company selling cooking oil became one of the world’s biggest technology giants under his leadership. His story is about incredible vision, hard work, and a deep commitment to giving back.
A Young Man with a Heavy Burden
Born in Mumbai in 1945, Azim Premji’s family had a business named Western India Vegetable Products. While he was studying engineering at Stanford University in the United States, his father’s sudden death changed everything. He had to leave his studies and return to India to run the family’s cooking oil and soap company.
But Azim saw a different future. He knew the world was changing and that technology was the way forward. He decided to take a huge risk and pivot the company’s focus from vegetable oil to software.
The Birth of Wipro, the Tech Giant
In 1977, Azim renamed the company to Wipro. Just a few years later, in 1980, he boldly guided the company into the IT sector, starting with making mini-computers. This was a massive gamble, but it paid off.
Azim was a leader with a clear vision. He invested heavily in smart, dedicated people and built a culture of quality and innovation. This focus helped Wipro quickly earn a reputation for providing top-notch IT services to clients around the globe. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the company grew at an explosive rate, becoming a major player in IT services, consulting, and outsourcing.
Azim’s leadership was characterized by his humility and integrity. He famously practiced frugality, believing in efficiency and cost-effectiveness. His no-frills approach helped Wipro grow without unnecessary spending, and his commitment to strong ethics became a core value of the company.
A Heart for Philanthropy
For Azim Premji, success was never just about money. In 2001, he founded the Azim Premji Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving education in India. He believed that a better education system was the key to a better future for the country.
He has donated a significant portion of his wealth to the Foundation, making it one of the largest charitable endowments in the world. His dedication to philanthropy has been an inspiration, showing that business can be a powerful force for good.
In 2019, Azim stepped down as Wipro’s chairman, passing the torch to his son, Rishad. However, he remains an influential figure, continuing to guide the company’s direction. His legacy is a powerful testament to the idea that a single person’s vision, determination, and commitment to values can transform not only a company but an entire society.
