Rishad Premji is a quiet but powerful force in the high-stakes world of global technology, where new ideas move at the speed of code and competition never stops. Premji is the Executive Chairman of Wipro Limited, one of India’s biggest IT services companies. He has not only taken over a legacy from his father, Azim Premji, but he has also added a modern vision focused on AI, ethical leadership, and making a difference in society. At 48, this Indian business professional is the link between the old and the new, helping a huge company with 230,000 employees get through the digital flood.
A solid upbringing in a great legacy
Rishad Azim Premji was born on January 9, 1977, in Mumbai. He grew up with very high expectations. Azim Premji’s father turned a small cooking oil business called Western Indian Vegetable Products into Wipro, a global leader in IT consulting and services worth more than $10 billion today. Even though Azim’s family is very rich—his net worth is about $11.8 billion—Rishad was taught to be humble, educated, and responsible for others, which would later shape how he did business.
Rishad went to the well-known Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai, where he developed his early interest in learning. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and then an MBA from Harvard Business School. These schools gave him a global view of finance and strategy. Before starting his own business, Rishad worked for two years as a consultant at Bain & Company in London and then four years at GE Capital in the United States. These jobs gave him experience in international markets and helped him become a better analyst, which prepared him for the challenges of running a multinational.
Rishad married his childhood sweetheart, Aditi Bokaria, in 2005. Their marriage has been a rock of stability in his busy career. Rishad often says that his family keeps him grounded. He and his wife have two kids. He says he loves cricket, traveling, and movies, and he balances boardroom meetings with quiet time on the beach. One time, while talking to a friend on the beach, he thought about how men and women solve problems differently.
Moving Up the Ladder at Wipro
Rishad started working for Wipro in 2007 as a business manager in the consumer products and lighting division. He did this on purpose so he could get a feel for the company from the ground up. This wasn’t just a matter of optics; it was a strategic immersion. He was a key player in Wipro’s 2008 purchase of Ubersoft, a software company that specializes in .NET and Java services. This showed that he is good at mergers that strengthen Wipro’s tech arsenal.
By 2010, he had risen to the position of Chief Strategy Officer, where he led the company’s shift toward digital transformation. Rishad started Wipro Ventures in 2015. This is the company’s venture arm that has put $65 million into 18 startups, helping to promote innovation in new technologies. During his time at Wipro, the company also became more focused on cloud computing, cybersecurity, and AI—three areas that would become very important under his leadership.
Azim Premji stepped down as Executive Chairman in June 2019 and gave the job to Rishad, who took over on July 30. People were not happy with this change, and as the founder’s son, Rishad was accused of nepotism. But his past jobs had given him credibility. He often says, “I believe culture is an organization’s strongest asset,” and he supports Wipro’s “Spirit of Wipro” values, which are integrity, innovation, and care. With his help, the company has gotten back on its feet after the pandemic and now offers AI-powered services to more than 1,000 customers around the world.
Important Accomplishments and Impact on the Industry
Rishad’s mark is bigger than Wipro. He was the head of NASSCOM, India’s top IT trade group, from 2018 to 2019. He pushed for data privacy, skill development, and the use of ethical AI in the face of global trade tensions. The World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader that same year for his “outstanding professional accomplishments, leadership, and commitment to society.”
He has even more power because he sits on the boards of Wipro Enterprises (FMCG and infrastructure), Wipro-GE Healthcare (a GE joint venture), and the Azim Premji Foundation. In January 2024, Azim gave Rishad and his brother Tariq shares worth Rs 500 crore each. This increased their stakes and showed that the family would stay together. The board’s trust in Rishad was shown by raising his pay to Rs 5–12 crore for the next cycle.
Leading the way in AI and giving
What was Rishad’s most daring move? Wipro announced in 2025 that it would spend $1 billion on AI over the next three years to combine generative AI with platforms like WiNow and Lab45. With 235,000 workers trained in GenAI 101 and 30,000 advanced certified, he’s making AI available to everyone in the company, from delivery to innovation. This isn’t just talk; it’s a bet that AI will be the next industrial revolution, putting Wipro up against competitors like TCS and Infosys.
Philanthropy is in their blood. Rishad is on the board of the Azim Premji Foundation, which gives billions of dollars to Indian public schools, hospitals, and jobs. Rishad is inspired by Azim’s $21 billion in lifetime donations, which is the most in India. He echoes Emerson: “To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.” This is to have done well. He wants to get rid of the stigma around mental health and encourage people to talk about it as freely as they do about physical problems.
The More Gentle Side of Leadership
Rishad shows that he is a thoughtful person. He says that success is “how many mornings you wake up happy.” He praises Glenn Maxwell’s “magical” batting and mourned Ratan Tata’s death in 2024 as a loss of “institutionalized philanthropy.” In July 2025, he sent Azim heartfelt birthday wishes for his 80th, calling him “this guy” with emojis and photos. This was a rare look at his vulnerable side. Earlier, when Azim retired, he wrote, “Mad respect for this man I am lucky to call my father.”
Rishad says to focus: “Focus on a few things. Don’t worry about the rest! And in a life-affirming nudge: “If you are lucky enough to live this life, never miss the chance.”
Looking Ahead: A Moving Legacy
Rishad Premji is the steady hand at Wipro as the company tries to become the leader in AI and expand around the world. In a time when technology is changing quickly, his focus on culture and purpose makes him stand out. Rishad shows that real leadership isn’t about the throne; it’s about the people it affects. He does this by supporting new businesses, improving education, or just enjoying a cricket game. He says that success means making it easier for other people to breathe. Wipro and India are doing just that under his watch.
