Wipro Ltd was incorporated in 1945 and commenced its operations in 1946. Some significant milestones in Wipro's life are:

1945: Incorporation of Western India Vegetable Products Limited.

1966: Azim Premji takes over the leadership of Wipro at the age of 21.

1975: Wipro Fluid Power set up.

1977: Name of the Company changed to Wipro Products Limited.

1980: Diversification into IT under Information Technology Division

1981: Launched India's first mini computer.

1981: Manufacture and marketing of flexi-pack of hydrogenated cooking oil for the first time in India

1982: Name of the company changed to Wipro Limited.

1983: Formation of Wipro Information Technology Limited and Wipro Systems Limited.

1984: Software products subsidiary -- Wipro Systems Ltd -- established.

1985: Toilet soaps manufacture begins.

1989: Joint venture with GE of US for medical systems, Wipro GE Medical Systems Ltd

1992: Lighting business and finance arm is established.

1994: Merger of subsidiaries Wipro Technologies Ltd and Wipro Systems Ltd with Wipro Ltd

1998: Relaunch of Wipro identity with Rainbow Flower and positioning statement, 'Applying Thought.'

2000: Listing of Wipro Ltd's ADRs on New York Stock Exchange.

2001: Wipro becomes world's first PCMM Level 5 company.

Photograph: Richard Grasso, (5th from left), the then chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, shakes hands with Wipro chairman Azim Premji, as Vivek Paul, (3rd from right), former vice chairman of Wipro, gives a thumbs up, at the time of the listing of the company on the NYSE on 19 October, 2000. Also seen in Dewang Mehta, the then president of Nasscom, (2nd from right) .

Photograph: Mel Nudleman/AFP/Getty Images

Also read: Premji on innovation, creativity

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