IT tycoon becomes India’s greatest philanthropist

An Indian IT tycoon has become the country’s greatest philanthropist after giving $2bn of his personal fortune to build primary schools in some of its poorest areas. Azim Premji, the founder of Wipro, a software and call centre to cooking oil empire, is India’s second wealthiest man, and one of the world’s richest 50 tycoons with a personal fortune of $18bn.

The Prince of Wales sought to bridge the gap in charitable giving on the Indian subcontinent when he hosted a dinner for some of the regions wealthiest businessmen and sought to persuade them to set an example by giving to well-run charities. The trust last night welcomed Mr Premji’s donation and said it hoped others would follow his lead. “It’s encouraging that Mr Premji has put his funds to such use because we are trying to encourage philanthropists to consider long term sustainable development when giving their funds. There are lots of people doing incredible work in India and this will encourage others to do the same,” said trust director Hitan Mehta.

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