Quote of the Day by Azim Premji: ‘I think the advantage of democracy is that it makes us less dependent on a group of leaders’       

“I think the advantage of democracy is that it makes us less dependent on a group of leaders,” a quote by Azim Premji, Founding Chairman of Wipro.

This is a famous quote by Indian business tycoon and philanthropist Azim Premji, highlighting how democratic systems distribute power rather than relying on a single supreme authority.

Who is Azim Premji? 

Azim Premji is an Indian tech magnate, investor, and one of the world's most prominent living philanthropists. Often referred to as the "Czar of the Indian IT Industry," he is best known for transforming Wipro Limited from a small family-run cooking oil business into a multi-billion-dollar global software and outsourcing giant.

In 1966, at age 21, Premji was forced to drop out of Stanford University following his father’s sudden death. He returned to India to take control of the family firm, Western Indian Vegetable Products Ltd. He expanded the business from consumer care (shortening, soaps, and lighting) into industrial engineering. In 1977, he renamed the firm Wipro.

When the Indian government expelled IBM in 1979, Premji seized the opportunity, steering Wipro directly into the emerging computer hardware and software market.

Under his leadership across four decades, Wipro evolved into a premier global IT outsourcing enterprise spanning over 60 countries. In 2019, he stepped down as executive chairman, handing the leadership to his son, Rishad Premji.

When was this quote said by Azim Premji?

Azim Premji said this during an extensive profile interview published by The Guardian on January 22, 2005.

Premji emphasized focusing foundation resources on rural primary education rather than tech-driven philanthropy.

What does this quote mean?

Azim Premji’s quote captures the essence of civic empowerment by shifting the ultimate responsibility of governance from a select political class back to the citizens. In a traditional top-down system, a nation's progress and stability depend heavily on the personal capability, morality, and decisions of a few individuals at the top.

Premji argues that democracy corrects this vulnerability by building institutional systems where authority is decentralised and collective. By making a society less dependent on a specific group of leaders, democratic frameworks ensure that the nation's direction is guided by public consensus rather than the whims of a ruling elite.