New Delhi: Maharani of Baroda and philanthropist Dr. Radhika Raje Gaekwad was honoured with the Shakti Award for Excellence in Philanthropy at the NewsX We Women Want Conclave 2025, where she spoke on heritage, crafts, community empowerment, and the responsibility of preserving India’s cultural identity.
Receiving the award in the presence of her parents, Dr. Gaekwad called the moment “deeply humbling,” crediting her wildlife conservationist father and her mother for instilling in her compassion, courage, and a sense of purpose.
Marking National Handloom Day, she wore a bespoke ikat outfit inspired by snakeskin patterns to highlight India’s textile heritage. Calling craft the “second-highest employment generator after agriculture,” she urged for a nationwide movement to restore dignity to artisans. She is actively reviving real zari Chanderis from Madhya Pradesh and the Baroda Shalloo from Banaras and, as Director of the CDS Art Foundation, curates UA (Upasana and Aesthetics), showcasing crafts from across the country.
Her philanthropic initiatives include supporting the LGBTQ+ community, notably through Gazra Café, an inclusive space in western India that has funded gender reassignment surgeries. “All they need is agency and dignity,” she said, stressing her role as a communicator and bridge between causes and people willing to help.
Dr. Gaekwad also defended India’s princely heritage, criticizing misrepresentations in popular culture such as the web series The Royals.
