Wipro Chairman – Azim Premji (Age – 80)

Wipro Limited, one of India’s largest IT services companies, was incorporated in 1945 as Western Indian Vegetable Products Limited in Amalner, Maharashtra. Azim Premji served as Chairman of Wipro for over five decades, transforming it from a $2 million cooking oil business into a $10+ billion global IT powerhouse operating across 66 countries. Listed on the NSE (WIPRO) and NYSE (WIT), Wipro today employs more than 233,000 professionals worldwide. Premji retired as Executive Chairman on July 30, 2019, after 53 years at the helm, and now holds the title of Founder Chairman and Chairman Emeritus. He is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of India’s IT revolution and one of Asia’s most generous philanthropists, having pledged over $21 billion to education and social causes through the Azim Premji Foundation.

Read on to discover Azim Premji net worth in 2026, his salary at Wipro, email address, age, wife & family, career history, education, and philanthropic legacy.

Former Chairman Notice: Azim Premji retired as Executive Chairman of Wipro on July 30, 2019. He currently serves as Founder Chairman & Chairman Emeritus. The current Chairman of Wipro is his son Rishad Premji, and the CEO & Managing Director is Srini Pallia (appointed April 2024).

This profile is maintained for historical reference and because of Premji’s enduring role as a major Wipro shareholder and global business icon.

Azim Premji Wipro Chairman Image
Azim Premji, Founder Chairman & Chairman Emeritus of Wipro Limited

Azim Premji – Quick Facts

Azim Premji — At a Glance
Full Name Azim Hashim Premji
Position Founder Chairman & Chairman Emeritus
Company Wipro Limited (NSE: WIPRO / NYSE: WIT)
Age 80 years (born July 24, 1945)
Education B.S. Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
Net Worth (2026) ~$11–12 Billion
Wipro Stake ~72.7% (promoter group)
Chairman 1966–2019 (retired July 30, 2019)
Philanthropy Pledged $21B+ via Azim Premji Foundation
Email [email protected]
Headquarters Doddakannelli, Sarjapur Road, Bengaluru 560035, India

Wipro Competitors

Wipro Limited operates in the highly competitive global IT services and consulting industry. The key competitors of Wipro include:

  • Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) – India’s largest IT company by revenue and market cap
  • Infosys – Indian IT services giant and direct competitor in consulting and outsourcing
  • HCL Technologies – Major Indian IT services and engineering firm
  • Accenture – Global leader in IT consulting and managed services
  • Cognizant Technology Solutions – US-headquartered IT services company with Indian roots
  • Tech Mahindra – IT services subsidiary of Mahindra Group
  • Capgemini – French multinational IT consulting and services company
  • IBM – Global technology and consulting services leader

Azim Premji Net Worth 2026 – Wipro Chairman Salary

As of February 2026, Azim Premji’s net worth is estimated at approximately $11–12 billion USD, according to Forbes and Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The majority of his wealth is derived from his family’s approximately 72.7% promoter group stake in Wipro Limited, which has a market capitalization of roughly $26 billion. Despite holding one of India’s largest fortunes, Premji has donated over $21 billion to philanthropic causes, primarily through the Azim Premji Foundation focused on improving education in rural India.

Since retiring as Executive Chairman in 2019, Premji no longer draws a regular salary from Wipro. In his final full fiscal year as Chairman (FY2017), his compensation was approximately $121,853 (Rs 79 lakh), without any commission — notably modest for a billionaire of his stature.

Azim Premji Compensation History

Component Amount (USD) Notes
Base Salary (FY2017) $121,853 Rs 79 lakh
Commission (FY2017) $0 None paid
Wipro Stake Value (2026) ~$18.9B 72.7% promoter group
Philanthropic Donations $21B+ Pledged to foundation
Current Net Worth ~$11–12B Forbes (Feb 2026)

Key Insight: Azim Premji is widely regarded as one of the most frugal billionaires in the world. Despite being worth billions, he was known for drawing a modest salary, flying economy class, and driving a Toyota Corolla. He has pledged more than $21 billion — the largest philanthropic commitment by any Indian — through the Azim Premji Foundation and the Giving Pledge.

Wipro Net Worth 2026 – Is Wipro Profitable?

Yes, Wipro is a profitable company. For fiscal year 2025 (ended March 31, 2025), Wipro reported gross revenue of Rs 890.9 billion (~$10.4 billion) and net income of Rs 131.4 billion (~$1.54 billion), representing an 18.9% increase in net income year-over-year. The company’s IT services operating margin expanded to 17.1%, up 0.9 percentage points from FY2024.

Wipro Financial Summary (FY2025)

Metric Value YoY Change
Market Capitalization ~$26.3B
Annual Revenue (Gross) $10.4B ▼ 0.7%
IT Services Revenue $10.5B ▼ 2.7%
Net Income $1.54B ▲ 18.9%
IT Services Operating Margin 17.1% ▲ 0.9%
Employees 233,346 ▲ 0.3%
Countries of Operation 66
Stock Tickers NSE: WIPRO / NYSE: WIT

Profitability Improvement: While Wipro’s revenue declined slightly by 0.7% in FY2025 amid a challenging global IT spending environment, the company significantly improved profitability with net income surging 18.9% to $1.54 billion. Operating margins expanded by 90 basis points to 17.1%, reflecting disciplined cost management under CEO Srini Pallia.

Azim Premji Email Address | Wipro Chairman Contact

Below are the contact details and social media profiles for Wipro Founder Chairman Azim Premji:

Contact Information
Email Address [email protected]
LinkedIn Azim Premji – Founder Chairman, Wipro
Corporate HQ Doddakannelli, Sarjapur Road, Bengaluru 560035, India
Phone +91 (80) 4682-7999
Foundation azimpremjifoundation.org
Corporate Website wipro.com

Career & Education – Company, University, & College

Azim Premji’s career is one of the most remarkable business transformation stories in history. In 1966, at age 21, he left Stanford University before completing his degree to take over his late father’s cooking oil business. Over the next five decades, he methodically transformed Western Indian Vegetable Products Limited from a small hydrogenated oil manufacturer into Wipro Limited, one of the world’s leading IT services companies with over 233,000 employees and $10 billion in annual revenue.

Azim Premji Career Timeline

Period Role & Milestone Company
1966 Took over as Chairman (age 21) after father’s death Western Indian Vegetable Products
1966–1977 Diversified into consumer products (soap, lighting, hydraulic cylinders) Wipro Products
1977 Renamed company to Wipro; began technology diversification Wipro Limited
1979–1980s Entered IT hardware after IBM exited India; built first Indian minicomputer (1981) Wipro Limited
1990s–2000s Led expansion into IT services, BPO, and R&D services globally Wipro Technologies
2001 Founded Azim Premji Foundation for education reform Azim Premji Foundation
2019 Pledged additional 34% Wipro stake ($7.5B) to foundation Azim Premji Foundation
July 30, 2019 Retired as Executive Chairman; became Founder Chairman & Chairman Emeritus Wipro Limited

In the late 1960s, after his father Muhammad Hashem Premji passed away, Azim left Stanford to return to India and take charge of the family business. At the time, the company was primarily focused on producing hydrogenated cooking oil under brands like Kisan, Sunflower, and Camel, generating just $2 million in revenue.

Premji aggressively diversified the business into consumer products including soap, light bulbs, baby care items, and hydraulic cylinders. In 1977, he renamed the company Wipro. When IBM was forced to leave India in 1979, Premji seized the opportunity to enter the technology sector. In 1981, Wipro developed the first Indian minicomputer based on the Intel 8086 chip.

Through the 1990s and 2000s, Premji steered Wipro’s expansion into IT services, business process outsourcing, and R&D services, growing the company from $2 million to over $9 billion in revenue and establishing operations across 58+ countries. Under his leadership, Wipro became one of India’s “Big Four” IT companies alongside TCS, Infosys, and HCL Technologies.

Education

Institution Degree / Program Website
St. Mary’s School, Mumbai Secondary Education
Stanford University B.S. in Electrical Engineering (completed via correspondence after initial departure) stanford.edu

Premji began his studies at St. Mary’s School in Mumbai. He then enrolled at Stanford University in California to study Electrical Engineering. However, the sudden death of his father in 1966 forced him to leave Stanford and return to India to manage the family business. He later completed his degree through correspondence, eventually graduating from Stanford.

Azim Premji Wiki – Age, Wife, Family, & More

Azim Hashim Premji (age 80, as of 2026) was born on July 24, 1945, into a Gujarati Muslim family in Mumbai (then Bombay), India. His father, Muhammad Hashem Premji, was a celebrated businessman known as the “Rice King of Burma.” When India and Pakistan were partitioned in 1947, Muhammad Ali Jinnah reportedly invited Premji’s father to move to Pakistan, but he chose to remain in India. Azim has one brother and two sisters.

Premji is married to Yasmeen Premji, an accomplished novelist who worked for the architecture and design magazine Inside Outside for 15 years. They have two sons: Rishad Premji, who is now the Executive Chairman of Wipro, and Tariq Premji. The family is based in Bengaluru (Bangalore), India.

Notable Awards & Recognitions

  • Padma Vibhushan (2011) – India’s second-highest civilian honor, awarded by the Government of India
  • Padma Bhushan (2005) – India’s third-highest civilian honor, for contributions to trade and commerce
  • Knight of the Legion of Honour (2018) – France’s highest civilian distinction, conferred by the French Government
  • TIME 100 Most Influential People – Named in 2004 and 2011
  • Giving Pledge (2013) – First Indian to join the Buffett-Gates philanthropic commitment
  • Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy (2017) – For exceptional philanthropic contributions
  • Honorary Doctorates – From Stanford University, Wesleyan University, and other institutions

Premji is widely regarded as one of Asia’s most generous philanthropists. In 2001, he founded the Azim Premji Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on transforming public school education across rural India. In 2019, he pledged an additional 34% of his Wipro shares, bringing his total philanthropic commitment to over $21 billion — making him the most charitable Indian in history. He was the first Indian to sign the Giving Pledge and the third non-American to do so, after Richard Branson and David Sainsbury.

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited is an Indian multinational corporation that provides information technology, consulting, and business process services. Founded in 1945 as Western Indian Vegetable Products Limited in Amalner, Maharashtra, the company was transformed by Azim Premji into one of the world’s leading IT services firms. Wipro is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, and is listed on both the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE: WIPRO) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WIT).

Business Segment Description
IT Services Application development, cloud & infrastructure, digital transformation, consulting, and managed services
IT Products Hardware and software products, third-party IT product reselling
ISRE (India State Run Enterprise) IT services to government and public sector enterprises in India
Wipro Enterprises Consumer care (lighting, personal care), infrastructure engineering (hydraulic equipment)

Today, Wipro operates in 66 countries with over 233,000 employees. The company is led by Chairman Rishad Premji (Azim’s son) and CEO & Managing Director Srini Pallia (appointed April 2024). Wipro has a market capitalization of approximately $26 billion as of February 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Who is Azim Premji?

Azim Hashim Premji is an Indian billionaire businessman and philanthropist who served as Chairman of Wipro Limited for over 53 years (1966–2019). He transformed the company from a small cooking oil manufacturer into one of the world’s largest IT services companies. He is currently Wipro’s Founder Chairman and Chairman Emeritus.

What is Azim Premji’s net worth in 2026?

As of February 2026, Azim Premji’s net worth is estimated at approximately $11–12 billion USD, primarily derived from his family’s ~72.7% promoter group stake in Wipro. He has donated over $21 billion to philanthropic causes, significantly reducing his wealth from what it would otherwise be.

Is Azim Premji still the Chairman of Wipro?

No. Azim Premji retired as Executive Chairman on July 30, 2019, after 53 years leading the company. He now holds the honorary title of Founder Chairman and Chairman Emeritus. His son, Rishad Premji, succeeded him as Executive Chairman, and Srini Pallia serves as CEO & Managing Director (since April 2024).

What is Azim Premji’s email address?

Azim Premji’s email address at Wipro is [email protected]. For general inquiries, you can also contact Wipro’s corporate headquarters at +91 (80) 4682-7999 or visit wipro.com/contact-wipro.

How much has Azim Premji donated to charity?

Azim Premji has pledged over $21 billion to philanthropic causes, making him the most generous philanthropist in Indian history. He was the first Indian to sign the Giving Pledge in 2013. His donations primarily fund the Azim Premji Foundation, which works to improve public school education across rural India.

Is Wipro a profitable company?

Yes, Wipro is profitable. In fiscal year 2025 (ended March 31, 2025), the company reported net income of $1.54 billion, an 18.9% increase year-over-year. While revenue was flat at approximately $10.4 billion, operating margins expanded to 17.1%, reflecting improved operational efficiency.

Article last updated:January 2026March 2, 2026

Disclaimer: All information presented in this article has been compiled from publicly available sources, including SEC filings, BSE/NSE disclosures, official company press releases, Forbes, Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and reputable news outlets. Net worth figures are estimates and may vary by source. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.