On 9 December 2025, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, presented the Shilp Guru Awards and National Handicraft Awards for 2023 and 2024 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi, as part of the National Handicrafts Week celebrations 2025 (December 8-14, 2025).
- The event was organized by the Ministry of Textiles (MoT).
- The event was attended by Union Minister Giriraj Singh, MoT, and the Minister of State (MoS) Pabitra Margherita, MoT.
Exam Hints:
- What? National Handicrafts Awards and Shilp Guru Awards 2023 & 2024
- Presented by: Droupadi Murmu, President of India
- Venue: Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi
- Organiser: Ministry of Textiles (MoT)
- Number of Awards: 48 (12 Shilp Guru, 36 National Awards)
- Women Awardees: 20
- Sector Workforce: 68% women, total employment over 3.2 million
Highlights of Handicraft Awards 2023 & 2024:
Background:
- National Awards: Instituted in 1965, the National Handicrafts Awards honor exceptional craftspersons for artistic excellence and contribution to India’s cultural heritage.
- Shilp Guru: Introduced in 2002, the Shilp Guru Awards are the highest national recognition in the handicrafts sector, celebrating master craftspersons.
Award Composition: A total of 48 awards were given in the 2023–2024 cycle, including 12 Shilp Guru Awards and 36 National Awards, of which 2 were special Design & Innovation Awards for artisan-designer collaboration.
Women Awardees: Among the awardees, 20 were women artisans.
Crafts Covered: The awardees represented a wide and diverse range of traditional Indian crafts, spanning metalwork, woodwork, hand-printed textiles, Pattachitra, leather puppetry, terracotta, stone carving, carpets, and cane-and-bamboo work.
Cultural & Social Impact: India’s handicrafts sector, employing over 3.2 million people including a 68% women workforce, is a vital part of the nation’s cultural identity and a key driver of rural livelihoods and women’s empowerment.
Growth: The sector’s eco-friendly nature and global potential are being enhanced through Geographical Indication (GI tags), One District One Product (ODOP) initiatives, and government support under the National Handicrafts Development Programme aligned with the “Vocal for Local” vision.
Economic Focus: The socio-economic importance of the handicrafts sector was underscored by highlighting the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reduction from 18% to 5% and the export target of Rs.1 lakh crore by 2031–32.
Shilp Guru Awardees for 2023:
| Name of Awardee | Craft Category | State |
|---|---|---|
| Ajit Kumar Das (Men) | Hand Painted Textiles | West Bengal (WB) |
| Sudhir Kumar Maharana (Men) | Painting Pattachitra | Odisha |
| D. Sivamma (Women) | Leather Puppet | Andhra Pradesh (AP) |
| Dolon Kundu Mandal (Women) | Terracotta | WB |
| Khatri Gulamhusain Umar (Men) | Artistic Textiles(Tie & Dye) | Gujarat |
| Madhuri Mishra (Women) | Artistic Textiles(Batic Printing) | Uttar Pradesh (UP) |
Shilp Guru Awardees for 2024:
| Name of Awardee | Craft Category | State |
|---|---|---|
| Kamlesh Sharma (Women) | Wood Craft (Tarkashi work on the table) | Rajasthan |
| Subhash Arora (Men) | Metal Craft (DhokraCraft) | Haryana |
| Shaheen Anjum (Women) | Wood Craft (Jewellery Box) | Delhi |
| Mohammad Dilshad (Men) | Wood Carving (Centre table of Sheesham Wood) | Uttar Pradesh (UP) |
| Tarit Paul (Men) | Clay Modelling (Vishwarupa of Lord Krishna) | West Bengal (WB) |
| Shobharani Poddar (Women) | Jute Craft (Goddess Durga) | WB |
Click here to view full list of National Awardees for 2023 and 2024
About Ministry of Textiles (MoT):
Union Minister – Giriraj Singh (Constituency – Begusarai, Bihar)
Minister of State (MoS)- Pabitra Margherita (Rajya Sabha – Assam)
