This is not an usual story you read about another rich guy from an another hyper rich family, who happens to inherit a large fortune and the rich gets richer and so on kind of thing. Well Gautam Thapar did belong to the old and strong Thapar group (now under the umbrella of AVANTHA group). But he’s got a differnt story .                                                                                                                                                                                                                        .Thapar

 Thapar groups was started by KARAM CHAND THAPAR (KCT), the goup which now holds Crompton Greaves, Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT), Thapar house on Janpath lane, Tiger Bay restaurant, Global Green, Solaris Chemtech etc..BILT is the country’s largest paper and pulp industry.

When the time came for B.M.Thapar, father of Gautam Thapar, to inherit the family business he just discarded it as he could’nt take the responsibility on his shoulders and passed it on to L.M.Thapar. But the eldest son, to KCT, was Indra Kumar, so L.M.Thapar promised KCT that he would pass on the family business to Indra kumar’s son Vikram when he turned 65 in 1995. And that closed all the doors for Gautam Thapar and his place in family moreover he could not stay in India when he overheard ” The family tree can take care of some dead branches” . He then went to U.S to pursue his studies in Pratt University.

From here comes a new story. L.M.Thapar still had a soft corner for Gautam and so he asked him to come back but in vain. With no job in U.S and the visa permit closing in, he had to come India. But still he did not join the family biz but his father put him under the guidance of a senoir executive in BILT. After watching the business run he was so excited and finally joined the family brand. His first challenge was to rescue the ailing industry APR (Andhra Pradesh Rayons) and sucessfully drove it in to profits. Next committment was restoring and developing BILT’s export business of Leather, Food,Shoes etc.., L.M.Thapar was easily impressed by his management skills and offered him a good chance and better challenge.He joined BILT’s chemical division which then faced all sort of problems like declining revenues,shortage of water added to labour agitations. This was when Gautam Thapar showed his strategic skills and mettle in dealing with labour, even sold some assets but finally showed all the profits . The period between 1995 -1998 was agonising to Thapar group specially to the BILT, the entry of Indonesian based paper giant in to the Indian market and crash of global paper prices accelerated it.By the end of 1998 BILT was in a debt of 700 crores. This was the time when Gautam Thapar came in.

He first shutdown all the outer businesses and then to repay the loan he sold BILT’s chemical business to APR and a one third family holding to a friend of his. He literally resurrected the BILT and also Crompton Greaves. L.M.Thapar finally divided the group and made Gautam the MD of the group in 1999.

Gautam Thapar didnt look back from then but his aggression did not subside and his hunger for more continued which resulted in the aquistions of Pauwels of Belgium,Ganz of Eastern Europe, Microsol of Ireland etc., He is founder/director of Osian’s, country’s first art auction house.He is fond of golfing and also the president of the Professional Golf Tour of India.

In all these years Gautam Thapar emerged himself as a worthy successor of the Thapar group.

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