Athira Sethu
Kochi, 24 May 2025
In its most recent annual report, Wipro, disclosed the salary information of its top executives for the fiscal year 2024–2025 (FY25). According to the report, Wipro’s Executive Chairman Rishad Premji’s salary has increased significantly, but it also draws attention to the pay gap between him and Srinivas Pallia, the CEO of the company.
Rishad Premji’s Pay Increase
In FY25, Rishad Premji’s total compensation more than doubled to $1.6 million, which is about Rs 13.7 crore. This was a big jump from the previous year, where he earned only $769,456 (around Rs 6.4 crore). However, Premji’s pay was still much lower than that of the company’s CEO, Srinivas Pallia, whose earnings for FY25 were $6.2 million (about Rs 53.64 crore).
Premji’s pay cut is following Wipro’s announcement of an 18.9% jump in net profit for FY25, which stood at Rs 13,135.4 crore. Last year, FY24, Premji had accepted a pay cut of about 20%, as Wipro’s profit during the year was lower. Actually, he did not accept any commission during FY24, as the company performed badly.
Srinivas Pallia’s Salary Breakdown
Srinivas Pallia made a total of $6.2 million (approximately Rs 53.64 crore) in FY25. It is a big number, but even this falls short of the $20 million (approximately Rs 168 crore) received by Wipro’s previous CEO, Thierry Delaporte, during the last financial year (FY24). Pallia’s compensation package comprises his salary and allowances amounting to approximately $1.7 million, a further $1.7 million variable pay (which is based on company performance), $2.8 million in other compensation, and approximately $68,850 in long-term compensation.
Furthermore, Pallia was awarded 1.6 million stock options, and he can exercise them after a while. These stock options are means of rewarding him for his role in growing the company. However, Rishad Premji was not awarded any stock options in FY25.
Why Did the Pay Increase
The main reason for the increase in both Premji’s and Pallia’s pay is Wipro’s improved financial performance. The company’s net profit saw a significant rise, and the executives’ earnings were linked to this success. However, it’s important to note that while Rishad Premji’s pay grew, it was still far behind the pay of the CEO, who leads the company’s day-to-day operations and strategic decisions.
