Azim Premji facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Azim Premji
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Premji at the World Economic Forum, 2013
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Azim Hashim Premji
24 July 1945 Bombay, Bombay presidency, British India
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| Alma mater | Stanford University (B.S.E) |
| Occupation | Founder Chairman of wipro |
| Children | Rishad Premji, Tariq Premji |
| Honours | Padma Vibhushan (2011) |
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Azim Hashim Premji (born 24 July 1945) is a famous Indian businessman and philanthropist. He was the chairman of Wipro Limited, a big technology company. People sometimes call him the "Czar of the Indian IT Industry" because he helped Wipro become a global leader in software.
Azim Premji guided Wipro for forty years, making it grow and become a major player in the software world. He has been named one of the most powerful and influential people globally by magazines like Asiaweek and Time. He is also the Chancellor of Azim Premji University in Bangalore.
He is known for his amazing charity work. He has given away a large part of his wealth to help others. In 2013, he joined the Giving Pledge, promising to donate at least half of his money to good causes. He has given billions of dollars to the Azim Premji Foundation, which focuses on improving education in India. He has often been recognized as one of India's most generous people.
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Early Life and School
Azim Premji was born in Bombay, India. His family was from Gujarat. His father was a well-known businessman. When Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who founded Pakistan, asked his father to move there, he chose to stay in India.
Azim Premji studied at Stanford University in the United States. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He is married to Yasmeen Premji. They have two children, Rishad and Tariq. His son, Rishad Premji, is now the Chairman of Wipro's IT business.
Azim Premji's Career Journey
In 1945, Azim Premji's father started a company called Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd. It was in a small town in Maharashtra, India. The company made cooking oil and laundry soap.
In 1966, Azim Premji was only 21 years old. He was studying engineering at Stanford University when his father passed away. He returned home to take over the family business, which was then called Western Indian Vegetable Products.
At first, the company made cooking oil. But Azim Premji was a visionary. He expanded the business into many new areas. These included bakery fats, toiletries, hair care products, and lighting.
From Soaps to Software
In the 1980s, Azim Premji saw a big opportunity. The computer industry was growing fast. When a major American company, IBM, left India, it created a gap in the market. Azim Premji decided to change his company's direction.
He changed the company's name to Wipro. He then started making mini-computers by working with an American company. This was a huge step. After this, Premji focused more and more on software. He transformed Wipro from a company that made soaps into a global leader in technology.
Awards and Honors
Azim Premji has received many important awards for his work and his generosity.
- Business Week magazine called him one of the "Greatest Entrepreneurs." They recognized him for making Wipro one of the fastest-growing companies in the world.
- In 2005, the Government of India gave him the Padma Bhushan award. This is one of India's highest civilian honors. It was for his excellent work in business.
- In 2009, he received an honorary doctorate from Wesleyan University in the US. This was for his outstanding charity work.
- In 2011, he received the Padma Vibhushan. This is India's second-highest civilian award.
- In 2018, the French Government gave him the Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur. This is the highest civilian award in France.
- Forbes magazine has also recognized him as one of the "Heroes of Philanthropy" in Asia-Pacific. This shows his dedication to helping others.
Giving Back to Society
Azim Premji believes that people with wealth should help create a better world. He has dedicated a huge part of his life and wealth to philanthropy.
Azim Premji Foundation
- In 2001, he started the Azim Premji Foundation. This is a non-profit organization. Its main goal is to improve school education across India.
- In 2010, he promised to donate $2 billion to improve education. He did this by transferring shares of Wipro Ltd to the Azim Premji Trust. This was the largest donation of its kind in India.
- In 2019, he pledged even more Wipro stock to the foundation. This brought his total contribution to the foundation to about $21 billion.
- The foundation also helps with other important causes. For example, in 2020, it helped increase testing for the coronavirus pandemic.
The Giving Pledge
Azim Premji has said that being rich "did not thrill" him. He became the first Indian person to join the Giving Pledge. This campaign was started by famous billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. It encourages the wealthiest people to give away most of their money to charity.
I strongly believe that those of us, who are privileged to have wealth, should contribute significantly to try and create a better world for the millions who are far less privileged.
By 2013, he had already given more than 25% of his personal wealth to charity. By 2015, his total contribution reached 39%. His lifetime giving now stands at an incredible $21 billion. In 2019, Azim Premji was named the top Indian philanthropist.
India's Most Generous Donor
Azim Premji has topped the list of "India's most generous" donors for several years. In 2020, he donated a massive ₹79.04 billion (about $1 billion). This was a huge increase from his previous donations. Education remains the main cause he supports with his donations. He continued to be the top donor in 2021 as well.
See also
In Spanish: Azim Premji para niños
