Defining moments: Azim Premji

A BBC series is asking some of the world's most influential people about the defining moments in their life.

Mr Premji is putting his money towards universal education for India's children

Azim Premji is one of the world's most successful businessmen, regarded as an Indian Bill Gates after transforming his father's vegetable-products company, Wipro, into a multi-national computer giant. If you own a mobile phone, the chances are Mr Premji's company designed some of the software that makes it work - Nokia and NEC are among Wipro's clients. He has also set up the Azim Premji Foundation, which aims to give universal education for children in India.

It happened when I was 21-years-old.

I was studying at Stanford University. My father suddenly died so I had to rush back to India and I attended the first annual general meeting of my company.

Azim Premji has been ranked as India's richest man

A shareholder, who was very articulate, very vociferous and someone who categorised himself as a public spokesman, gave me very sincere advice in front of all the shareholders.

He said: "Mr Premji, you should sell your shareholding and give it to more mature management because there is no way a person of your age with your experience can lead this company."

And that really made me more and more determined to make a success of Wipro.

So I think he was the biggest service I ever got in Wipro.

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Defining Moments will run until 23 July on BBC World Service's World Today programme. You can also read people's recollections on BBC News Online.