President Of India Confers Shilp Guru And National Handicraft Awards For 2023–24
President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred the Shilp Guru Awards and National Handicraft Awards for 2023 and 2024 at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, honouring India’s master craftspersons, designers and innovators for their outstanding contribution to the handicrafts sector.
A total of 48 awards were presented, including 12 Shilp Guru Awards and 36 National Awards, of which 20 awardees were women artisans, underscoring the growing role of women in preserving and advancing India’s craft traditions. The recipients represented a wide spectrum of crafts such as hand-printed and artistic textiles, wood and metal craft, terracotta, clay modelling, cane and bamboo, leather puppetry, carpets, toys and papier-mâché.
In her address, the President described artisans as the living custodians of India’s cultural heritage and highlighted the sector’s importance in rural livelihoods, women’s empowerment and sustainable development. She noted that Indian crafts have endured over generations by adapting to changing markets and technologies while retaining their authenticity.
Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the handicrafts ecosystem through initiatives focused on product diversification, promotion of natural fibres and support for artisans under the National Handicrafts Development Programme. Minister of State for Textiles Pabitra Margherita said the awards celebrate the creativity and cultural memory carried by India’s handmade products from local communities to global markets.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Textiles, industry representatives, exporters, designers and artisans from across the country.
