Initially, he turned around the Group’s ailing company, Andhra Pradesh Rayons (APR), after which many other changes followed. By 2005, he took over the reins of the Thapar empire and became a Chairman of the group on 1 July 2006. Since, he has also landed sits on the board of several companies in India and abroad. For his great managerial skills and successful business lead, Gautam Thapar received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Manufacturing in 2008.