30 Shilp Guru Awards and 78 National Awards for the year 2017, 2018 and 2019 were presented to master craftspersons, 36 of whom are women. The main objective of the awards is to give recognition for their excellence in craftsmanship and valuable contribution to Indian handicrafts and textiles sector.
Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President conferred these awards in Delhi and said that our handicrafts are our living heritage and appealed to all consumers of handicraft to appreciate local and be vocal about it. Stressing upon the need to promote organised marketing and branding of Indian handicraft products, he said that interior designers must focus on this rich heritage of ours.
PiyushGoyal, Union Minister of Textiles; Rachna Shah, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; Shantmanu, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) were present on this occasion.
The Shilp Guru Awards are given to legendary master craftspersons in recognition of excellent craftsmanship, product excellence and the role played by them as gurus who bestow the continuance of crafts to other trainee artisans as a vital part of traditional heritage. The Award consists of a gold coin, Rs. 2 lakh prize money, a Tamrapatra, a shawl and a certificate.
The National Awards include Rs. 1 lakh prize money, a Tamrapatra, a shawl and a certificate.
Few of the Shilp Guru Awardees
| Name | Craft | State |
| Noorbanu Mohamad Khatri | Bandhani, Tie & Dye | Gujarat |
| Mohammed Yusuf Khatri | Hand Block Bagh Print | Madhya Pradesh |
| Bashir Ahmed Bhat | Sozni Hand Embroidery | Jammu & Kashmir |
| Gurumayum Shanti Devi | Artistic Textiles | Manipur |
| Mahamaya Sikdar | Kantha Hand Embroidery | West Bengal |
| Naseem Bano | Chikan Hand Embroidery | Uttar Pradesh |
