Building a Global Brand: The Case of Wipro

In this business case study, we describe the transformation of Wipro, a Bangalore-based information technology company. Founded in 1945 as Western India Vegetable Products Limited, Wipro is today the world's largest independent R&D services provider and among the top three offshore business process outsourcing (BPO) service providers with over 490 clients, 53000 employees and 40 plus development centers across the globe. Wipro's aim was to continue its transformation from a low cost provider of outsourced services to become a global information technology leader, delivering world-class solutions to its global customers through a process of fostering ongoing internal and external innovation while maintaining the cost advantage associated with being located in India. The case also describes the steps senior management at the firm took to enhance brand awareness, brand differentiation, and brand positioning, which were all playing important roles in the growth of the company. Teaching objectives of the case include (a) understanding the evolution on the Wipro brand, (b) developing strategic initiatives to move up the value chain, (c) enabling intellectual leadership and building a global outlook within a large services firm, and (d) managing the challenges and opportunities of a technology-based global delivery model, combined with a multi-location strategy.