Azim Premji

“The old boys' club of closed tennis court relationships is on the way out.”

“Excellence endures and sustains. It goes beyond motivation into the realms of inspiration.”

“The three ordinary things that we often don't pay enough attention to, but which I believe are the drivers of all success, are hard work, perseverance, and basic honesty.”

“People have to take control of their own lives. Education is key because it also raises other social indicators like healthcare.”

“Private sector cannot substitute the role of the government in primary education.”

“When I took over the family business, it had already been a publicly traded company for 20 years. During one of the first annual meetings I attended, one shareholder stood up and advised me and everyone in attendance that I should resign.”

“Western companies want access to Indian talent. That is why they outsource; that is why they come to India to set up base.”

“I have never had the need or thrill for being wealthy.”

“You cannot get into business for the fashion of it.”

“The job of nation building, the job of nation leadership in a difficult, complex coalition has worked.”

“The important thing about outsourcing or global sourcing is that it becomes a very powerful tool to leverage talent, improve productivity and reduce work cycles.”

“To have strongly integrated managers who have a deep understanding of technology is a rare and difficult combination to build. You have to invest a lot in selecting and training these people.”

“We've always seen ourselves as Indian. We've never seen ourselves as Hindus or Muslims or Christians or Buddhists.”

“I.B.M. was not really bringing their best technologies to India. They were dumping old machines in the country that had been thrown away in the rest of the world 10 years before.”

“When you are under pressure, you make the bold steps faster; you don't make the bold steps slower.”

“The principal challenge we face is to go up the value- and domain-skill chain and build a strong consultancy front end and, also, to globalize our leadership much more.”

“The customer is a remarkably selfish person: He takes the relationship to where the execution is in his favor.”

“The U.S. is a complex country. It has a high predominance of immigrants who have been eminently successful.”

“Our managers need to have a strong integration of managerial skills and technical understanding. One cannot substitute for the other.”

“Even if I was to give my children a small part of my wealth, it would be more than they can digest in many lifetimes.”