Mission Bengaluru: UP man, who cycled for 15 days to meet Tata Sons chairman, takes 25-day journey to meet Azim Premji

A man from Uttar Pradesh's Meerut, Monish Thakur, cycled for 25 days, covering nearly 2,300 kilometres, to Bengaluru only to meet the Wipro owners – Azim Premji and son Rashid Premji, who dedicated their lives to social service.

In a lengthy LinkedIn post, Thakur shared the details of his journey and said, “Main MONISH THAKUR Meerut se Bengaluru tak cycle se safar par hoon – 2300 kilometre ka ek lamba aur thakaan bhara safar. Aaj main 2100 kilometer ka raasta tay kar chuka hoon, aur bas kuch kadam aur baaki hain.”

Sharing the objective of his ‘Cycle Yatra’, the UP man said, “Mera maksad sirf ek manzil tak pahunchna nahi hai – main is yatra ke zariye ek aise insaan se milne ja raha hoon jinhone apni zindagi samaj sewa ko samarpit kar di – Shri Azim Premji sir aur unke putra Rashid Premji sir.”

Why?

Monish Thakur said the Premji's initiatives for education and human welfare have inspired him, and he wants to meet Azim Premji to convey his good wishes and seek guidance from him.

“Unhone education aur human welfare ke liye jo kiya hai, usse main hamesha prerit raha hoon. Main chahta hoon ki unse mil kar unka aashirvaad aur margdarshan le sakun,” Thakur wrote.

He also said that his journey wasn't just a physical pursuit but also a spiritual one. “Har pedaal ke saath main ek nayi seekh le raha hoon – logon ka pyaar, raste ki mushkilein, aur apne sapne ke liye ladne ka junoon.”

Thakur hoped the Internet would support him in proving that “agar irade mazboot ho, toh koi raasta lamba nahi hota.”

Check his LinkedIn post: Cycle Yatra

Not his first cycle yatra

In 2023, Thakur had cycled 15 days to reach Mumbai from Meerut, where he stood outside Bombay House for three days to meet Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran.

A few months later, he described Chandrasekaran as a “very simple” and “nice” man in a conversation with Moneycontrol.

Was Monish Thakur able to meet the Premji's?

According to a Hindustan Times report, Thakur, who reached Bengaluru yesterday, May 28, stood outside Wipro’s Sarjapur Road office in Bengaluru for hours in hopes of meeting the father-son duo. 

However, he was stopped by the security personnel who asked him to draft a letter requesting an appointment.

Thakur is awaiting a response from the Wipro office. “I have blisters on my feet. I want to go back to Meerut after meeting them,” he told HT.com.

Azim Premji's philanthropy initiatives

Azim Premji is a leading Indian philanthropist known for his transformative work in education and social development. Through the Azim Premji Foundation and University, he has improved public education in underserved regions, supporting over 400,000 schools.

His philanthropic arm also funds health, gender equity, and livelihood initiatives. He has donated over ₹2.3 trillion, making him one of the world’s top givers.

Premji’s efforts, including massive COVID-19 relief, reflect his deep commitment to equity, ethics, and nation-building through systemic change.

Azim Premji was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2005 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2011.