Dr Toolika Gupta Conferred The Insignia Of “Chevalier De l’Ordre National Du Mérite”
This prestigious French distinction recognises Dr Gupta’s remarkable achievements in textile research, design education, craft preservation, and her significant contribution to Indo-French cultural and academic cooperation
H.E. Mr Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, yesterday conferred the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite (Knight in the National Order of Merit) on Dr Toolika Gupta, researcher, designer, author, educator and academic administrator, during a special ceremony held at the Embassy of France in New Delhi. The ceremony was attended by many distinguished guests including H.H. Maharani Nivritti Kumari Mewar of Udaipur, and Mrs Madhu Neotia, Chairperson, Indian Institute of Crafts and Design (IICD).
This prestigious French distinction recognises Dr Gupta’s remarkable achievements in textile research, design education, craft preservation, and her significant contribution to Indo-French cultural and academic cooperation.
As Director of the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design (IICD) Jaipur, and Dean (Product Design) at Vishvakarma Skills University, Jaipur, Dr Gupta has played a leading role in shaping the next generation of Indian designers. As founder of the Textiles and Clothing Research Centre, she has brought sustainability, entrepreneurship, and cultural continuity into design education, and championed the international recognition of Indian textile heritage.
Promoting cross-cultural dialogue in textile and design, she has forged institutional partnerships with France’s most prestigious design schools, such as ENSAD, École Duperré, and École de Design Nantes Atlantique, and created strong academic and creative bridges between France and India. Dr Gupta’s participation in India’s very first official delegation to the “Silk in Lyon” festival in 2021 paved the way for new forms of recognition for India’s artisanal silk legacy in Europe.
In her capacity as first and current President of Alliance Française de Jaipur, Dr Gupta has unstintingly endeavoured to create a dynamic platform for cultural and linguistic exchange, and a vibrant space for dialogue, performance, and creativity to deepen French cultural ties with the State of Rajasthan.
Speaking on the occasion of this ceremony, Ambassador Thierry Mathou said: “By conferring the Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite on Dr Gupta, we are not only recognising an exceptional career but also celebrating a vision of a more inclusive and interconnected world. Her tireless contributions to fostering Indo-French cultural and academic collaborations have created lasting bridges between our two nations in education, heritage preservation, innovation, and cultural diplomacy.”
Receiving the distinction, Dr Toolika Gupta said: “With an award of this stature that has been bestowed upon me, by the French Government, I have now even more responsibility, to work tirelessly for a larger social impact in the areas of Crafts, culture and community building; to strengthen the bonds between India and France and to continue to do what we have been doing together at IICD, TCRC, IFI and Alliance Francaise de Jaipur.”
In 2024, on the occasion of World Craft Day, Drs Tulika Gupta and Nina Sabnani presented Rajasthani kavad, a form of ancestral art created by master artisans of Rajasthan, to the Ambassador of France to India, which was a hallmark of Indo-French artistic exchanges and innovation.
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