Wipro Limited
Information Technology Services and ConsultingFounded 1945- Updated July 2025
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Last reviewed: July 2025
CorpDigest
Wipro Limited
Company History
Founded 1945 in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Last reviewed: 2025-07-15 · By Swet Parvadiya
Wipro Limited is a Information Technology Services and Consulting company with $10.7B in 2024 revenue and 235K employees worldwide. Wipro Limited stands at a critical inflection point in its storied history, navigating the transition from a legacy IT services giant to a next-generation, AI-driven digital engineering powerhouse. Anchored by a unique corporate governance structure and a deep heritage in complex product design, Wipro possesses a formidable competitive moat in the specialized engineering and industrial technology sectors. Despite facing intense competitive pressures from mid-tier disruptors, the macroeconomic headwinds of a slowing global economy, and the existential disruption of generative AI, the company remains a highly cash-generative enterprise with a fortress balance sheet. Under the leadership of its new CEO, Srini Pallia, Wipro is executing a bold strategic pivot, investing heavily in artificial intelligence, cloud-native architecture, and sustainability consulting to drive margin expansion and accelerate top-line growth. The company's ability to successfully harness the AI revolution, navigate the complex geopolitical landscape, and escape the mid-tier growth trap will determine its trajectory in the coming decade. If successful, Wipro will emerge as an indispensable, high-value partner to the Global Fortune 500, redefining the economics of the global IT services industry.
Mohamed Hasham Premji founded Wipro in 1945 as a vegetable oil refining company in western India, recognizing the massive domestic demand for edible oils in the post-colonial era. Under his leadership, the company grew into a diversified consumer goods manufacturer, producing soaps, candles, and lighting products. Although it was his son, Azim Premji, who ultimately orchestrated the radical pivot into information technology, Hasham Premji's foundational emphasis on operational discipline, quality control, and navigating the complex bureaucratic landscape of the License Raj established the corporate DNA that would allow Wipro to survive and thrive in the highly competitive global technology sector. His legacy is one of building a resilient, diversified industrial base from the ground up in a challenging economic environment.
Mohamed Hasham Premji establishes the company in Mumbai, focusing on the production and refining of hydrovanaspati cooking oil.
Following the sudden death of his father, 21-year-old Azim Premji leaves Stanford University to take over the struggling family business, initiating a new era of strategic expansion.
Wipro begins its transition into the technology sector by securing a license to import and assemble minicomputers, partnering with Control Data Corporation.
The company officially establishes its IT division, marking the beginning of its strategic pivot from consumer goods and hardware manufacturing to software development and services.
Wipro capitalizes on the massive global demand for software engineers to fix the millennium bug, experiencing explosive revenue growth and establishing its dominance in the Global Delivery Model.
Wipro acquires the Indian operations of SpectraMind, significantly boosting its capabilities in enterprise software integration and establishing a foothold in the high-value consulting market.
In a massive $500 million deal, Wipro acquires the US-based cloud consulting firm Appirio, drastically accelerating its cloud-native capabilities and expanding its footprint in the North American market.
The company announces a comprehensive strategic overhaul, focusing on digital transformation, cloud engineering, and AI, aiming to accelerate growth and improve operating margins.
Srini Pallia is appointed as CEO, tasked with accelerating the Wipro 3.0 strategy, navigating the generative AI disruption, and driving high-margin digital engineering growth.
To acquire deep expertise in enterprise software integration, middleware, and application modernization, significantly boosting Wipro's capabilities in the high-value consulting and systems integration market.
To acquire a massive US-based IT infrastructure outsourcing and data center management business, drastically expanding Wipro's footprint in the North American market and its capabilities in cloud infrastructure and data center migration.
To acquire a premier US-based cloud consulting firm with deep expertise in Salesforce, Workday, and cloud-native architecture, drastically accelerating Wipro's digital transformation capabilities and expanding its footprint in the North American market.
To acquire a leading German IT services provider with deep expertise in the automotive, manufacturing, and logistics sectors, significantly strengthening Wipro's product engineering capabilities and its foothold in the European market.