23-07-2025
Once denied permission to stay at Wipro guesthouse, now serves as chairman of same company; he is...., father is...
India has produced several philanthropic leaders. It is impossible to mention the names of prominent donors without including Ratan Tata, Azim Premji, Sudha Murthy, Nita Ambani, Shiv Nadar, and Anand Mahindra. Azim Premji is a figure known better for his philanthropy work than his business acumen. Interestingly, Azim Premji has transferred his entire business to his son. The information technology giant, Wipro, established by Azim Premji, has now been passed down to his son, Rishad Premji. Who is Rishad Premji? What role does he hold in Wipro?
Rishad Premji, like his father Azim, is recognized for his humility. He joined Wipro in 2007 and worked in several roles before becoming Executive Chairman in 2019 — including General Manager in the Banking and Financial Services business, Head of Investor and Government Relations, and Head of Strategy and M&A. He also holds directorships across various Azim Premji philanthropic entities.
In 2014, Rishad Premji was recognized as a Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum due to his outstanding leadership and commitment to society. At present, Rishad Premji is the Executive Chairman of Wipro Limited, a consulting-led and AI-powered global information technology services company. He serves on the boards of Wipro Enterprises, Wipro-GE Healthcare, and the Azim Premji Foundation, which works to improve public school education, healthcare, and livelihoods across several Indian states. He also holds directorships across various Azim Premji philanthropic entities.
According to the official website of Wipro, Rishad served as Chairman of NASSCOM, the trade body representing India's technology industry from 2018-19. Before Wipro, Rishad worked with Bain & Company in London and GE Capital in the US. Speaking about his educational qualification, Rishad has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics from Wesleyan University.
In 2005, Rishad got married to Aditi, his classmate at Harvard Business School, in a simple ceremony. Rishad and Aditi have two children, Rohan and Riya.
Azim Premji was born on 24 July 1945 and Wipro was established shortly after on 29 December 1945. At the age of 21, after the death of his father, Azim Premji took over Wipro and built it into one of the biggest IT companies in the world and raised his children with the same principles he has gained from his father.
A great example of his values was when Rishad Premji was in London and asked to stay at Wipro's guesthouse. Azim Premji said no, because it is a company property and not a place for personal use.
