Today Premji, by virtue of his building software power Wipro , is one of Asia s richest men.
Over time, Premji transformed Wipro from a toiletries and lighting company to a software giant.
Premji has the Azim Premji Foundation that works in the area of primary education.
Azim Premji, for years India's richest resident, was unseated by Mukesh and Anil Ambani.
Premji will transfer 213 million shares amounting to an 8.7% stake in his software outfit Wipro.
Same goes for India's Azim Premji, who turned his dad's cooking-oil business into technology giant Wipro.
The Premji foundation is buying its own land for its model schools rather than renting.
FORBES: Billionaire Azim Premji Is Spending Big To Close India's Teacher Gap
Premji often stays at budget hotels when traveling in India and reportedly wears non-branded suits and flies economy.
Recently, Premji caused a stir when he said that he supported a government proposal to tax the super-rich.
FORBES: Azim Premji Donates $2.3 Billion After Signing Giving Pledge
This is not the first such honor for Premji who was earlier given the Padma Bhushan in 2005.
Azim Premji, the chairman of Wipro, a big computer-services company, has called Mr Bhattacharjee India's best chief minister.
Software magnates Azim Premji and the founders of Infosys Technologies led by N.
The efforts of Premji's foundation are separate from the philanthropic initiatives Wipro pursues.
Even Wipro is largely owned by Mr Premji, whose father founded the firm.
Forbes India last year gave Premji its annual award for outstanding philanthropist.
FORBES: Billionaire Azim Premji Is Spending Big To Close India's Teacher Gap
In business circles, Premji is credited with transforming a cooking oil company he inherited from his father into a software colossus.
"We believe that good education is crucial to building a just, equitable, humane and sustainable society, " Mr Premji said in a statement.
Premji knows that many Indian bureaucrats at the local level will resist or resent being imposed upon by a wealthy tech mogul.
FORBES: Billionaire Azim Premji Is Spending Big To Close India's Teacher Gap
One of the new signatories who was probably not a tough sell is Azim Premji, the founder of IT services giant Wipro.
FORBES: Billionaire Azim Premji Is Spending Big To Close India's Teacher Gap
Premji sees education reform as crucial for powering and sustaining India's acceleration.
Premji told Forbes about his plans for a world-class university with a large endowment during an interview in London earlier this year.
FORBES: India's Bill Gates Launches Billion Dollar Endowment Trust
The discussions revolved around the areas of education, health, water and agriculture, according to a cryptic statement issued by the Azim Premji Foundation.
Premji, who was awarded the Padma Vibhushan this year, took over the family business at the age of 21 when his father suddenly died.
But Mr Premji believes that once China has trained enough people to speak English, it will be a real competitive threat to his business.
He has set up the Premji Foundation to fund projects in 18, 000 schools across India, which aim to encourage students to develop computer skills.
Some observers say that Premji was pressed to dilute his stake by a regulatory requirement that all listed companies have a minimum 25% public holding.
Welch s book Jack: Straight from the Gut recalls that Singh also led him to Azim Premji as GE was looking for a partner for its medical systems business.
Mr Premji believes that the most important thing India can do to maintain its global competitiveness is to improve its education system, which he says is failing women.
Azim Premji of Wipro, a big technology and outsourcing firm.
Singh, pharma entrepreneur K.Anji Reddy, vaccines-maker Cyrus Poonawalla, Rahul Bajaj, patriarch of the Bajaj Group, Baba Kalyani of Bharat Forge and tech tycoons Azim Premji and Shiv Nadar.
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