Thapar is the President of Thapar University and former Chairman of the Ananta Aspen Centre. He is also on the Board of Governors of his alma mater, the Doon School. In 2010, he took over as the chairman of the board of governors of the Mumbai-based business school NITIE, for a 4-year period. He also promotes golf and is president of the Professional Golf Tour of India. The EUR 1.8m Avantha Masters, tri-sanctioned by the 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.