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.
Thakkar is a member of the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders,[1][5] and was included in Fortune magazine's list of the top "40 Under 40" in 2013.
[12][16] In 2013, Thakkar announced a partnership with Bob Diamond to launch Atlas Mara,[17] a company that invests in commercial banking institutions across Africa.
Thakkar founded Mara Foundation, a non-profit company that mentors and supports young African entrepreneurs,[22] in 2009.
Thakkar presented and worked at the event of over 100 entrepreneurs and UN officials including Michael Dell, Barbara Bush, and Arianna Huffington.
[23] In August 2014, Thakkar participated in the US-Africa summit, hosted by the White House, alongside former U.S. President Bill Clinton.