Major Dixant Thapa was born on 10 October 1994 at the Army Hospital in Yol Cantonment, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. He was the son of Deepak Thapa, a retired Junior Commissioned Officer of the Indian Army, and Smt Dimpi Thapa. His younger brother was Nishant Thapa. Growing up in an Army family, Dixant spent his childhood in different cantonments and studied at schools in Gwalior, Jammu and Pathankot.
An accomplished student, he secured first position in his Class XII examination and subsequently qualified the Joint Entrance Examination. He pursued engineering at Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Landran, and completed his B.Tech from CGC College of Engineering, Mohali. During the eighth semester of his engineering course, he was selected through the Technical Entry Scheme of the Indian Army. He subsequently joined the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, for military training.
On 10 June 2017, Major Dixant Thapa was commissioned into 6 Mechanised Infantry of the Mechanized Infantry. Alongside his professional responsibilities, he was known for his interest in music, poetry and sports. He wrote poems, sang, played musical instruments and was a keen athlete. His alma mater later established a memorial in his memory in recognition of his service and sacrifice.
In 2020, his unit was deployed in eastern Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control. The operational environment had become particularly tense following the Galwan Valley clash of June 2020. On the night of 30 August 2020, Major Dixant was involved in the induction of Infantry Combat Vehicles into an operational area at Karu, Ladakh.
During the movement, he noticed an Infantry Combat Vehicle in a precarious position and immediately rushed to the site to prevent a possible loss of men and equipment. While carrying out this duty, a civilian truck crashed at the location, causing him severe injuries. Despite efforts to evacuate and treat him, he succumbed to his injuries on 30 August 2020.
Major Dixant Thapa was 25 years old at the time of his sacrifice. He was survived by his parents, Deepak Thapa and Dimpi Thapa, and his younger brother Nishant Thapa. A memorial/bust has subsequently been established at Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Landran, commemorating his contribution and sacrifice.