Wipro, one of India's biggest IT firms, wasn’t always a tech powerhouse. Founded in 1945 as Western India Vegetable Products Ltd, it started as a cooking oil company in Maharashtra. Who could have imagined that decades later, it would be a leader in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and IT services?
Founder of Wipro, MH Hashim Premji was offered the post of Pakistan's Finance Minister, but he refused.
The transformation began in 1966, when Azim Premji took over after his father’s passing. At just 21 years old, he had a vision beyond the edible oil business. By 1977, Wipro shifted towards technology and electronics, setting the stage for its IT revolution.
In 1981, Wipro built India’s first minicomputer, marking its entry into software. Over the next two decades, it became a leading software exporter and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2000. During the early 2000s, Wipro even surpassed Infosys in market capitalization.
Wipro’s journey didn’t stop at software. In 2011, it collaborated with ISRO to build India’s fastest supercomputer, SAGA-220. In 2021, it made its biggest acquisition yet—Capco, a $1.45 billion deal that expanded its consulting expertise.
Today, Wipro operates in 167 countries, with services ranging from AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and digital transformation. With over 234,000 employees, it remains a force in global tech.
Wipro’s story is proof that reinvention is the key to success. From oils to IT dominance, it continues to shape India’s future in technology.
