India's Favorite Philanthropist

They say real success only comes to those who embody modesty and innovation and who view life’s obstacles not as deterrents but rather as challenges. Not only does this man satisfy these criteria, but he also serves as an inspiration to all those working towards success.

Azim Premji is an Indian tech magnate and business entrepreneur whose career is the epitome of high thinking. The story begins with his father’s business, Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd, which produced a widely used shortening in India. Azim was still an undergraduate in Stanford when his father passed away, and that made him postpone his graduation to return to India and run the family business.

However, Azim refused to settle and decided to innovate the business as he started to delve into consumer products. He then renamed the company Wipro, and shifted its focus towards computer business and software development when IBM was made to leave India- a giant business move that opened doors of endless opportunities.

As Wipro began to establish international partnerships and worked on computer hardware for sale in India, Mr. Azim made fortunes. His love for his country and his people prompted him to hire intelligent and well-educated Indian software developers who were provided with excellent training.

As Mr. Premji’s business grew, so did the value of technology stocks. That made Wipro’s value skyrocket in the late 1990s, and Azim became one of the world’s richest men. His reality has remained unchanged as he is currently the 36^th wealthiest man in the world and the 2^nd wealthiest in India with a net worth of $5 billion.

His passion for his business is the reason behind his desire to develop diverse technologies, which also explains why his innovation center in Silicon Valley collaborates with startups with brilliant tech ideas.

Despite his wealth and prominent achievements, Azim remains a man defined by simplicity and benevolence. He is admired for his charity endeavors and his nonprofit Azim Premji Foundation focuses on improving the quality of elementary education throughout India’s rural areas. Since its establishment, it is reported that Azim has donated a total of $21 billion to charity, granting millions of underprivileged Indian students the chance to receive high-quality education.

A business genius, altruistic philanthropist, and passionate patriot, Azim Premji has proven to the world that success only comes to those whose dedication must be driven by the desire to make not only one’s life better, but also everyone else’s.