Wipro Limited
Company History
Wipro History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1945 in Amalner, Maharashtra, India
When was Wipro founded?
Wipro was founded in 1945 in Amalner, Maharashtra, India by Mohamed Hasham Premji, making it 81 years old.
- Founded
- 1945
- Founding place
- Amalner, Maharashtra, India
- Founders
- Mohamed Hasham Premji
- Headquarters today
- Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Milestones documented
- 11 (1945–2026)
- Current CEO
- Srini Pallia
- Acquisitions
- 5
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1945 | Incorporated as Western India Vegetable Products |
| 1966 | Azim Premji takes over |
| 2000 | NYSE listing |
| 2007 | Acquired Infocrossing |
| 2013 | Non-IT businesses demerged |
| 2016 | Appirio Acquired |
| 2019 | Rishad Premji becomes Executive Chairman |
| 2021 | Capco acquisition completed |
| 2022 | Acquired Rizing |
| 2024 | Srini Pallia named CEO |
| 2026 | Rs 150 billion buyback approved |
- Where was Wipro founded?
- Wipro was founded in Amalner, Maharashtra, India in 1945.
- Who founded Wipro?
- Wipro was founded by Mohamed Hasham Premji.
- When did Wipro start?
- Wipro was founded in 1945.
- How old is Wipro?
- Wipro is 81 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
Mohamed Hasham Premji incorporated Western India Vegetable Products Limited in Amalner, Maharashtra in December 1945 to make vegetable oil, and later soaps. When he died in 1966, his son Azim Premji left his studies at Stanford University to take over the company at age 21. Azim Premji broadened the product range and, after IBM left India in the late 1970s, moved the company into computer hardware. Software services followed in the 1980s. The company became Wipro Limited, listed ADRs on the NYSE in 2000, and in 2013 demerged its consumer care, lighting, and infrastructure engineering businesses into the unlisted Wipro Enterprises so that Wipro Limited could focus on IT services.
Founders
Mohamed Hasham Premji
Mohamed Hasham Premji incorporated Western India Vegetable Products Limited in Amalner, Maharashtra in 1945 to produce vegetable oil. He ran the business until his death in 1966, after which his son Azim Premji took over and later moved the company into information technology. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Incorporated as Western India Vegetable Products
Mohamed Hasham Premji sets up a vegetable oil business in Amalner, Maharashtra.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAzim Premji takes over
After his father's death, 21-year-old Azim Premji leaves Stanford to run the company.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNYSE listing
Wipro lists American Depositary Shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker WIT.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgNon-IT businesses demerged
Consumer care, lighting, and infrastructure engineering businesses move to the unlisted Wipro Enterprises.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAppirio Acquired
Wipro bought the cloud services company Appirio in 2016 for about $500 million.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRishad Premji becomes Executive Chairman
Azim Premji retires from the executive role and his son Rishad Premji takes over as chairman.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgCapco acquisition completed
Wipro completes its $1.45 billion acquisition of financial services consultancy Capco.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSrini Pallia named CEO
Srini Pallia succeeds Thierry Delaporte as CEO and Managing Director in April 2024.
Source: wipro.comRs 150 billion buyback approved
Alongside FY2026 results in April 2026, the board approves a Rs 150 billion share buyback.
Source: wipro.comMajor Acquisitions
Infocrossing
2007Add US data center and infrastructure management services.
Appirio
2016Add cloud consulting skills around Salesforce and Workday.
Capco
2021Build a consulting business for banks, insurers, and capital markets firms.
Rizing
2022Add SAP consulting capability.
Harman Digital Transformation Solutions
2025Add engineering and digital services capacity from Samsung-owned Harman.
Keep researching Wipro
Wipro Company History FAQ
When, where, and how was Wipro originally founded?
Wipro was founded on December 29, 1945, in Amalner, Maharashtra, India, by Mohamed Hasham Premji as Western India Vegetable Products Limited, manufacturing refined cooking oils and vanaspati ghee.
When and why did Azim Premji take over leadership of Wipro?
In 1966, following the sudden death of his father, 21-year-old Azim Premji dropped out of Stanford University to return to India and assume control of the family vegetable oil business.
How did Wipro pivot from cooking oil into computer hardware in 1980?
When IBM was expelled from India in 1977 under foreign exchange regulations, Azim Premji seized the computing vacuum, launching Wipro's information technology division in 1980 and manufacturing minicomputers in 1981.
When did the company change its name to Wipro Limited?
The company changed its name from Western India Vegetable Products to Wipro Products Limited in 1977, and officially adopted Wipro Limited in 1982 as technology became its core growth engine.
When did Wipro transition into software services and list on the NYSE?
In the 1990s, Wipro expanded into custom software development and offshore IT outsourcing for global corporations, listing its American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WIT) in October 2000.
What was the significance of the $1.45 billion Capco acquisition in 2021?
In March 2021 under CEO Thierry Delaporte, Wipro acquired London-based financial services consultancy Capco for $1.45 billion, the largest acquisition in Wipro's history, securing high-end Wall Street advisory clients.
When was Srini Pallia appointed CEO of Wipro?
In April 2024, Wipro appointed 32-year company veteran Srini Pallia (former CEO of Wipro's Americas 1 unit) as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, succeeding Thierry Delaporte.
What is the philanthropic legacy of Azim Premji and Wipro?
Azim Premji transferred over 67% of Wipro's economic ownership (worth tens of billions of dollars) to the Azim Premji Foundation, funding public education, healthcare, and rural development across India.
Related Strategic History
Compare founding milestones and corporate evolution
Explore Wipro
Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.