Azim Hashim Premji’s legacy is defined both by monumental achievements in business and an unparalleled commitment to philanthropy. Taking over a modest family-run vegetable oil company in 1966, Premji’s visionary leadership transformed it into Wipro, which today stands as a global IT powerhouse with revenues exceeding $10 billion and operations spanning over 66 countries.
Known as the ‘Czar of the Indian IT Industry,’ he spearheaded Wipro’s evolution into a major player in cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, and consulting services, employing over 250,000 people worldwide. His business acumen set new benchmarks of transparency, innovation, and ethics in Indian corporate culture.
Alongside his entrepreneurial success, Premji founded the Azim Premji Foundation in 2001, directing his wealth and vision towards systemic social change through education, healthcare, and rural livelihoods.
He has irrevocably donated over ₹1,45,000 crore to the Foundation, which holds 66% of Wipro’s economic ownership, marking the foundation as one of the world’s largest philanthropic endowments.
A Transformational Journey Guided by Values
Premji’s story is not just about financial success but about integrating purpose with profit. Educated as an electrical engineer at Stanford University, he returned to India to lead the family firm but quickly recognised the potential of emerging technologies.
His pivot to IT services in the 1980s was pivotal, turning Wipro into the second-largest software exporter by the late 1990s. Premji infused his leadership with values of integrity and simplicity, fostering a culture of trust among global clients such as GE and IBM.
His stewardship also emphasises ethical business practices and continuous learning, establishing Wipro as a trailblazer in India’s IT revolution.
Premji’s commitment to responsible capitalism laid the foundation for his philanthropic ventures, which began in earnest with the establishment of the Foundation to support government schools and vulnerable communities.
Expanding Impact Through the Foundation
Since its inception, the Azim Premji Foundation has made significant strides in addressing educational inequities. It now operates in seven states and one Union Territory, supporting over 3,50,000 government schools through a dedicated field team of around 1,700 professionals and Teacher Learning Centres.
The Foundation’s work spans improving teacher training, fostering student learning, and enhancing school infrastructure. It collaborates with over 1,000 civil society organisations to amplify its reach.
Notably, it launched an ambitious scholarship programme offering 30,000 scholarships annually for girls’ higher education, with plans to scale to 2,50,000 scholarships by 2025-26.
The Foundation also actively works in healthcare, partnering to improve nutrition by providing eggs (or alternatives) daily to over 55 lakh children via Karnataka’s mid-day meal scheme and supporting early childhood care centres in remote districts of Odisha, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh.
Philanthropy Beyond Education
Azim Premji’s philanthropic vision extends well beyond education. In recent years, the Foundation has increased investments in healthcare infrastructure and rural livelihoods.
A landmark grant of ₹500 crore was made to Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore to establish a medical college in Chittoor district and upgrade public hospital services, aiming to build robust rural healthcare capacity.
The Foundation also supports village-level health and nutrition campaigns alongside efforts to strengthen primary health centres in underserved regions.
Beyond direct service delivery, Premji’s philanthropy champions sustainable development through grants to partner organisations working on governance, livelihoods, and public health.
His adaptive response to crises like the Covid-19 pandemic commitments exceeding ₹2,000 crore underscore the Foundation’s capacity to mobilise resources swiftly for critical social needs.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Azim Premji’s journey exemplifies how visionary leadership melded with philanthropic stewardship can yield transformative societal change. His Foundation’s holistic approach interweaving education, healthcare, and empowerment embodies values of equity, kindness, and coexistence integral to The Logical Indian’s mission. Premji’s example challenges corporate India to embrace transparent and sustained philanthropy, not as a peripheral obligation but as an essential complement to business success.
His life advocates for empathy-driven leadership that transcends financial gain to nurture social harmony and justice. As India strides forward, the question remains: how can more Indian businesses integrate such ethical, systemic philanthropy to cultivate inclusive growth? The Logical Indian invites its readers to reflect, discuss, and share insights to advance this vital dialogue for a compassionate future.
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