Pranab welcomes Premji’s charity pledge

NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Thursday welcomed Wipro chairman Azim Premji’s $2 billion charity pledge, saying it would send out a positive signal.

I welcome it. It’s a very good decision. I congratulate Premji, Mukherjee told reporters here.

Premji, the country’s third richest man with a net worth of $17.6 billion, according to Forbes magazine estimates, Wednesday announced that he would set up a new endowment trust with a whopping Rs.8,846 crore ($2 billion) to fund various educational initiatives.