49.177.69.7 at 07:25, 16 August 2021

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{{short description|Indian businessman}}
{{refimprove|date=October 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
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{{Infobox person
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| alma_mater = [[Pratt Institute]]
| occupation = Businessperson
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| children = 4
| parents = Brij Mohan Thapar {{small|(father)}}
| relatives = [[Karamchand Thapar|K. Thapar]] {{small|(grandfather)}} <br> [[L. M. Thapar]] {{small|(Uncle)}}
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'''Gautam Thapar''' (born 7 December 1960) is an Indian businessman.

== Early life ==

Gautam Thapar belongs to the third generation of the business family founded by his grandfather [[Karam Chand Thapar]], in [[Kolkata]].<ref name="cg_bod">{{cite web
|url=http://www.cglonline.com/corporate_structure.htm
|title=Board of Directors
|publisher=Crompton Greaves
|accessdate=1 June 2010
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921211321/http://www.cglonline.com/corporate_structure.htm
|archivedate=21 September 2010
|df=dmy
}}</ref> Karam Chand had initially offered the reins of the family business to Gautum's father, Brij Mohan Thapar, bypassing his oldest son Inder Mohan Thapar. However, Brij Mohan passed on the chance to his younger brother [[Lalit Mohan Thapar]], giving lack of desire and inability to shoulder the responsibility as the reasons.<ref name="bw_new_thapar">{{cite web
|url = http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/The-New-Thapar.html
|title = The New Thapar
|author = Feroze Ahmed
|publisher = Businessworld
|accessdate = 1 June 2010
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20091019123918/http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/The-New-Thapar.html
|archivedate = 19 October 2009
|df = dmy-all
}}</ref> Thapar was educated at [[The Doon School]] and obtained his undergraduate degree from [[St. Stephen's College, Delhi|St. Stephen's College]] (at [[Delhi University]]). He later studied for an advanced degree in [[chemical engineering]] at the [[Pratt Institute]] in the United States.<ref name="standard">{{cite news |last1=Staff |title=Who is Gautum Thapar? |url=https://www.business-standard.com/about/who-is-gautam-thapar#collapse |access-date=16 August 2021 |work=Business Standard India |issue=Roundup |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813132430/https://www.business-standard.com/about/who-is-gautam-thapar#collapse |archive-date=13 August 2021}}</ref> Failing to find a suitable job and with US visa nearing expiry, he returned to India.{{when|date=August 2021}}<ref name="bw_new_thapar" />

== Business career ==

Thapar had responsibility to turn around the BILT's chemical division, which was suffering losses due to management-labour conflicts and shortage of water and power.{{when|date=October 2019}} Gautam showed profits within a year, by scrapping the company's expansion plans, selling off a few assets and trying to resolve labour concerns.<ref name="bw_new_thapar"/> The family's assets were divided into four in 1999, with Gautam's older brother Karan parting ways in 2005. Gautam became the Chairman of [[Crompton Greaves]] on 22 July 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=6015587&ticker=2481330|title=Ballarpur Industries Ltd.|publisher=Bloomberg Businessweek|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>

When Lalit Mohan Thapar retired, he chose his nephew Gautam over Vikram.<ref name="forbes_nephew_cold">{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/global/2008/0616/044.html|title=The Nephew Who Came in From the Cold|author=Naazneen Karmali|date=29 May 2008|accessdate=1 June 2010|work=[[Forbes.com]]}}</ref> In 2005, Lalit Mohan handed over the reins of the business empire to Gautam along with his voting rights, shares and most of his personal effects in his will. Gautam became the Chairman of the Group on 1 July 2006.<ref name="cg_bod" />

===Allegations of fraud===
On 29 August 2019, he was sacked as Chairman of CG Power and Industrial Solutions with immediate effect after an investigation that unearthed a multi crore financial scam at the firm. On 20 August 2019, the company had stated that an investigation instituted by its board had found major governance and financial lapses in the company.<ref name="et">{{cite news | url = https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/cg-power-board-sacks-a-as-its-chairman-with-immediate-effect/70888223 | title = CG Power board sacks a as its chairman with immediate effect | publisher = [[The Economic Times|Economic Times]] | location = India | date = 29 August 2019 | access-date = 29 August 2019}}</ref>

==Non-business activities==
Thapar is the President of [[Thapar University]] and former Chairman of the Ananta Aspen Centre.<ref name="cg_bod" /> He was also on the Board of Governors of his alma mater, the Doon School.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.doonschool.com/the-school-and-campus/administration/board-of-governors/e|title=p|publisher=Doon School|accessdate=1 June 2010|df=dmy-all}}{{dead link|date=May 2020|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In 2010, he took over as the chairman of the board of governors of the Mumbai-based business school [[National Institute of Industrial Engineering|NITIE]], for a 4-year period.<ref>[http://www.nitie.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=526&Itemid=353&lang=en NITIE Board Of Governors]</ref> He also promotes golf and is president of the [[Professional Golf Tour of India]]. The EUR 1.8m [[Avantha Masters]], tri-sanctioned by the [[PGA European Tour|European Tour]], the [[Asian Tour]] and the Professional Golf Tour of India, is India's richest golf event and synonymous with professional international golf in India.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/billionaires08_Gautam-Thapar_KCKQ.html|title=The World's Billionaires: #843 Gautam Thapar|date=5 March 2008|work=[[Forbes.com]]|accessdate=1 June 2010}}</ref>

==Awards==
He received the [[Ernst & Young]] ''Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Manufacturing'' in 2008.<ref name="wsj_qna">{{cite news | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB125474045508264225?mod=WSJ_hp_us_mostpop_emailed | title = Questions and Answers | publisher = [[The Wall Street Journal]] | location = India | date = 6 October 2009 | accessdate = 10 June 2010}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Avantha Group]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.avanthagroup.com/index.asp Avantha Group]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Thapar, Gautam}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Thapar family|G]]
[[Category:Pratt Institute alumni]]
[[Category:The Doon School alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Avantha Group]]

Gautam Thapar - Revision history

49.177.69.7 at 07:25, 16 August 2021