Wipro - Azim Premji's

Wipro started in 1945 with the setting up of an oil factory in Amalner a small town in Maharashtra in Jalgaon District. The product Sunflower Vanaspati and 787 laundry soap (largely made from a bi-product of Vanaspati operations) was sold primarily in Maharashtra and MP. The company was aptly named Western India Products Limited.
The Birth of the name Wipro - As the organization grew and diversified into operations of Hydraulic Cylinders and Infotech, the name of the organization did not adequately reflect its operations. Azim Premji himself in 1979 selected the name "Wipro" largely an acronym of Western India Products. Thus was born the Brand Wipro. The name Wipro was unique and gave the feel of an 'International" company. So much so that some dealers even sent their cheques favouring Wipro (India) Limited. Fortunately, the banks accepted them!!
Born on July 24, 1945, Azim Hashim Premji was studying Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, USA when due to the sudden demise of his father, he was called upon to handle the family business. Azim Premji took over the reins of family business in 1966 at the age of 21.
At the first annual general meeting of the company attended by Azeem Premji, a shareholder doubted Premji's ability to handle business at such a young age and publicly advised him to sell his shareholding and give it to a more mature management. This spurred Azim Premji and made him all the more determined to make Wipro a success story. And the rest is history.
When Azim Premji occupied the hot seat, Wipro dealt in hydrogenated cooking fats and later diversified to bakery fats, ethnic ingredient based toiletries, hair care soaps, baby toiletries, lighting products and hydraulic cylinders. Thereafter Premji made a focused shift from soaps to software.
Under Azim Premji's leadership Wipro has metamorphosed from a Rs.70 million company in hydrogenated cooking fats to a pioneer in providing integrated business, technology and process solutions on a global delivery platform. Today, Wipro Technologies is the largest independent R&D service provider in the world.
Azim Premji has several achievements to his credit. In 2000, Asiaweek magazine, voted Premji among the 20 most powerful men in the world. Azim Premji was among the 50 richest people in the world from 2001 to 2003 listed by Forbes