After 50 years at the helm of Wipro Limited, Azim Premji will be stepping down as the chairperson next month, and will be replaced by son Rishad. Premji will continue to serve on its board as non-executive director for the next five years.

Over time, Premji’s reputation as a philanthropist has eclipsed his work as a business leader. By reportedly earmarking all economic benefits in 34 percent of Wipro shares for philanthropic ends in March this year, Premji has now contributed approximately $21 billion for philanthropic works.

A reclusive man who is not seen much in public events and functions, there is a certain sense of mystery attributed to Premji, who is seen as doing good work quietly. The Quint caught up with Premji’s one-time colleague Subroto Bagchi, who worked at Wipro for a long time — some of it directly under Premji — before leaving it to co-found Mindtree, an IT solutions company based out of Bengaluru.