Azim Premji – India's most generous billionaire – and companies donate ₹1,125 crore to fight Covid-19

• Azim Premji is known as one of India’s most generous billionaires.
• Wipro committed ₹100 crore to the cause while Wipro Enterprises’ contribution is at ₹25 crore. Azim Premji Foundation donated ₹1000 crore towards the ₹1,125 crore warchest.
• As of June 2019, his total contribution to philanthropy stood at a whopping $21 billion, including 67% of ownership of Wipro.

One of the world’s most generous billionaires Azim Premji has done it again. His charitable initiative – Azim Premji Foundation and Wipro – the IT major he founded – set aside ₹1,125 crore to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Of the ₹1,125 crore, Wipro’s commitment is ₹100 crore, Wipro Enterprises is ₹25 crore. The Azim Premji Foundation gave a whopping ₹1000 crore.

The funds will focus on providing immediate humanitarian aid. “These responses will be carefully coordinated with relevant government institutions and would be executed by the Azim Premji Foundation’s 1600-person team, in collaboration with many of its over 350 strong civil society partners, who have a deep presence across the country,” said the company’s official statement.

Earlier this month, Ratan Tata, the chairman emeritus of the Tata Group announced that the group and the Tata Trusts will donate ₹500 crore for the coronavirus pandemic. Soon after, Tata Sons had pledged an additional ₹1000 crore.

India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani too announced that Reliance Industries set up the country’s first Covid-19 hospital at Navi Mumbai. Ambani also personally donated ₹500 crore to the PMCARES fund.

Indian business conglomerate ITC also announced that it has set up a ₹150 crore contingency fund to fight the pandemic.

The most generous of Indian billionaires

In 2001, Premji started the Azim Premji Foundation, a not-for-profit organization which aims to improve public school education in India. Today, the foundation works out of 7 Indian states with over 350,000 schools.

Often called, India’s most generous man, Premji in March 2019 took it one step ahead. He earmarked all economic benefits for philanthropy, setting aside 34% of Wipro shares worth $7.5 billion. As of June 2019, his total contribution to philanthropy stood at a whopping $21 billion, including 67% of the ownership of Wipro.

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