Sheikh Moidun Nilufar

Sheikh Moidun Nilufar is a social entrepreneur and craft development professional from Goalpara, Assam. She graduated from the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT), Guwahati, in 2007, where she was the batch topper. She has worked with organisations such as WSC, DC Handloom and Artfed as a designer in different clusters across Assam. Through her work, she has contributed to the development of traditional weaving practices and supported the livelihoods of nearly 200 weavers. She has also worked with the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, as a Project Officer, contributing to various craft initiatives across Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. As a social entrepreneur, she founded Weave India, with a focus on developing products using water reed, a natural raw material found in Assam. Her work promotes eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives while creating livelihood opportunities for local weavers and artisans. Her products have reached international markets, including Germany, Dubai, the United States and Sweden. Her contributions to social entrepreneurship and community development have been recognised with the Social Entrepreneur Award presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in 2022 and the Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee Award in 2023. Through Weave India, she continues to connect traditional weaving skills with contemporary lifestyle products while supporting artisan communities across Northeast India.