Background
Thakkar was born in the United Kingdom, but he moved to East Africa as a teenager before founding Mara Group, a Pan-African conglomerate, at the age of 15.
founder of Atlas Mara founder of Mara Group
Thakkar was born in the United Kingdom, but he moved to East Africa as a teenager before founding Mara Group, a Pan-African conglomerate, at the age of 15.
Mara Group"s operations and investments span 22 African countries. He is the author of The Lion Awakes: Adventures in Africa"s Economic Miracle. He was awarded the Base Leadership Award at the 2014 Music Television Africa Music Awards event.
Thakkar’s family emigrated from the Indian state of Gujarat to Africa in the 1890s.
Thakkar and his family returned to Africa to live in Rwanda before they were again forced to leave due to the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. The Thakkar family then fled to Burundi before settling in Uganda as refugees.
At 15 years old, Thakkar dropped out of school to start his own business with a $5,000 loan. Thakkar founded his own company, Mara Group, in 1996 at the age of 15.
He began by importing computer parts including keyboards, mouses, and desktops from weekly trips to Dubai.
After Thakkar had received a $5,000 loan to start his company, he opened the small Information Technology business in a shopping mall across the street from his father"s shop in Kampala. Over the next ten years, Thakkar expanded Mara Group into manufacturing, real estate, agriculture and Information Technology services. Thakkar later relocated the company headquarters to Dubai, but kept business in Africa.
Diamond, the former chief executive of Barclays, and Thakkar met at a conference through their foundations, Mara Foundation and the Diamond Family Foundation.
Thakkar and Diamond raised $325 million in funding in December 2013, before listing the company on the London Stock Exchange. Thakkar founded Mara Foundation, a non-profit company that mentors and supports young African entrepreneurs, in 2009.
Mara Mentor, a mobile application that connects young entrepreneurs with business professionals, was launched through Mara Foundation. In June 2014, Thakkar participated in the "Global Accelerator" event hosted by the United Nations Foundation and the United Nations Office for Partnerships to discuss entrepreneurships in United Nations objectives.
Thakkar presented and worked at the event of over 100 entrepreneurs and United Nations officials including Michael Dell, Barbara Bush and Arianna Huffington.
In August 2014, Thakkar participated in the United States-Africa summit, hosted by the White House, alongside former United States. President Bill Clinton. He has also participated in the United Nations Women Initiative, and was a guest speaker at the Emirates Foundation Youth Philanthropy Summit in November 2014.
Thakkar is a member of the World Economic Forum"s Young Global Leaders,and was featured on Fortune Magazine"s list of the top "40 Under 40" in 2013.