Azim Premji to be Awarded With 'Knight of The Legion of Honour', France's Highest Civilian Award

Bengaluru, November 27: Wipro chairman Azim Premji will be conferred upon with the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur or the Knight of the Legion of Honour -- the highest civilian award accorded by the Government of France. The title will be awarded to Premji on Wednesday by French ambassador to India, Alexandre Ziegler.

In a statement issued by the French embassy, Ziegler said that Paris has decided to honour Premji for his "laudable contribution" to develop the IT industry in India. The tech magnate's economic outreach in France, as well as his contribution to the society as a philanthropist, has also been considered for bestowing upon him the civilian award. Tariq Premji to Join Board of Wipro Enterprises- Know All About the Younger Son of Azim Premji.

"It will be a privilege for me to confer the insignia of Knight of the Legion of Honour on renowned tech magnate and philanthropist, Shri Azim Premji," Zeigler said.

Previous Indian recipients of the French civilian award include Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee.

Ziegler will be in Bengaluru on November 28-29 to attend the Bengaluru Tech Summit. This will also provide an opportunity to further boost the strong partnership between France and India in areas of information technology and innovation.

The Ambassador of France will also meet representatives of more than 30 innovative companies from the French technology business community.

This gathering will see a mix of early-stage and large technology companies specialising and developing digital solutions in artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, cybersecurity, connected devices, machine learning and super-computing, the statement said.

Large French digital companies already have a strong footprint in India, employing over 1.3 lakh people at their R&D centres and facilities.

"This meeting will be an opportunity to initiate the development of a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem that draws inspiration from the French Tech movement, a growing global community made up of a new generation of entrepreneurs, investors, engineers and innovators gathered under one banner," the statement said.

Ziegler will also visit the Infosys campus and attend a leadership meeting. "I am looking forward to meeting sectoral French companies, which are creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem to foster and support innovation and partnerships between France and India.

(With inputs from PTI)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 27, 2018 08:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).