Wipro chairman Azim Premji has been awarded the US-India Business Council's 34th anniversary 'Global Vision' award. The award, presented in Washington, recognises premji's work in strengthening India-US relations through business partnerships.

Premji received the award from retired president and CEO of GE India Scott Bayman, US-India Business Council president Ron Somers and PepsiCo chairman and CEO Indra K Nooyi on behalf of USIBC on 17 June.

Presenting the award, Bayman said, "Despite all his success and recognition, he is the same person I met in 1993 - humble, passionate and committed to quality - a very, very good guy."

Wipro also announced that USIBC would make a donation to Operation Smile, a children's charity dealing with facial deformities, in the name of Premji. This contribution would go towards a life changing surgery for 14 children during Operation Smile's August 2009 medical initiative in Gujarat.

Based in the US, US-India Business Council is composed of 310 American companies with a presence in India, to strengthen trade and business with India.

Premji graduated in electrical engineering from Stanford University, and on the unexpected demise of his father in 1966, Premji took on the mantle of leadership of Wipro at the age of 21. He started off in Wipro with a simple vision – to build an organisation on a foundation of values. (See: From soaps to IT)

Under his leadership, the fledgling $2-million hydrogenated cooking fat company has grown to a $1.76 billion IT services organisation serving customers across the globe.

Business Week ranked Wipro among the top 100 technology companies globally.

In the past two years Wipro has also become the largest BPO services provider, based in India.