The Tale Of A Philanthropist : Azim Premji

The Wipro chairman, Azim Premji is an Indian business tycoon also known as Czar of India IT industry. He owes 73% shares of Wipro. He has emerged as a global leader in IT industry and had been listed twice among the 100 most influential people by TIME magazine. Being the second richest person in the country, he has promised to give away half of his wealth by signing 'The Giving Pledge' and he is the first Indian to do so.

It all started when his father set up Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd at Jalgaon in Maharashtra, a firm which manufactured cooking oil, under the brand name sunflower Vanaspati. But eventually due to his father's death he had to leave his studies at Stanford University and looked after his family business. He then diversified the company to bakery fats, ethnic ingredient based toiletries, hair care soaps, baby toiletries, lighting products, and hydraulic cylinders. In 1980s, he realised the increasing significance of IT sector and taking the advantage of it's emergence, he changed the name of his company as 'Wipro' and entered the high-technology sector by manufacturing minicomputers under technological collaboration with an American company Sentinel. This was a turning point in his life .

When it comes to philanthropy, he is a man of big heart. Azim Premji foundation, which is a non profit organisation, aims to provide quality universal education to people that facilitates a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society. It lays specific focus on working in rural areas where the majority of government schools exist.Also the Azim Premji University was also established in Karnataka to stretch the boundaries of educational thinking. Recently, the billionaire chairperson added to billions of dollars he has already donated, by giving into charity 7.5 billion dollars or Rs 52,750 crores for the nation by supporting Azim Premji foundation. His generosity makes him distinct from others. Being rich never thrilled him.

"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."~ Azim Premji