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Ruma Devi Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth1989

Age30 (as in 2019)

BirthplaceBarmer, Rajasthan

ProfessionTraditional Handicraft Artisan

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

FamilyOne son (deceased); seven sisters; parents' names not known

Ruma Devi Biography

Ruma Devi is a traditional handicraft artisan from Barmer, Rajasthan, known for organizing and promoting rural women artisans and their handcrafted textile

Early life and background
Ruma Devi was born in 1989 in a rural village of Barmer, Rajasthan. She grew up in a large joint family and experienced hardship from an early age: her mother passed away when Ruma was five, and after her father remarried she was raised by her paternal uncle and aunt. Ruma left school after completing eighth grade.

She learned embroidery from her grandmother, a skill that later became the foundation of her livelihood. Married young, Ruma and her family faced severe financial challenges. She also endured the personal tragedy of losing her young son when he was about one and a half years old.

Career
Ruma began working with other local women to create and sell handcrafted goods. With ten women from the Mahila Baal Vikas Group she helped establish a small cooperative; each member contributed a modest amount to purchase a sewing machine so they could make bags and other sewn items. That initiative grew with guidance from a local NGO, expanding the product range to include cushions, garments, bedsheets and patchwork pieces.

On 14 July 1998 Ruma played a central role in founding a self-help organization, Gramin Vikas and Chetna Sansthan (GVCS), dedicated to supporting and developing women artisans in rural Rajasthan. The group focuses on traditional craft techniques such as Kantha stitch, embroidery, patchwork and fabric printing, with the goal of sustainable livelihoods for artisans. Ruma later became President of Gramin Vikas Evam Chetna Sansthan in Barmer.

Her work moved beyond the village level as more women joined these efforts; membership eventually grew from a few dozen to thousands of rural women across Rajasthan. International attention followed: Ruma’s textile work has been recognized by British Patchwork and Quilting Magazine and displayed at fashion events and fairs in cities including London, Germany, Singapore and Colombo.

In 2012 designer Anita Dongre invited Ruma to participate in Lakme Fashion Week; Ruma declined at that time because she did not feel ready. She later participated in Lakme Fashion Week in 2015 and has described her work as rooted in the traditions of Barmer, choosing to locate a shop in Jaipur rather than in Delhi to remain connected to her regional identity.

Recognition and honours
Ruma’s efforts on behalf of rural women artisans have been acknowledged with several awards and honours. Among these are the Shilpa Abhimani Award from the Government of Sri Lanka, recognition from Women on Wings (Netherlands), honours at international fairs in Germany and Singapore, and an award from the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts under India’s Textile Ministry for exemplary work in the handicraft sector. In 2018 she received the Nari Shakti Puraskar, and in 2019 she was listed among “51 most impactful innovators” by the World CSR Congress. She was also featured on the cover of India Today magazine in 2018.

Public profile
Ruma’s story has reached popular culture. Elements of her life and work were reflected in the Bollywood film Sui Dhaaga (2018). She has had opportunities to meet public figures; for example, she appeared on a special ‘Karmaveer’ episode of the television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati 11 on 20 September 2019, where she presented a handcrafted piece to Amitabh Bachchan. Anecdotally, actor Varun Dhawan purchased chanderi silk dupattas from her and gifted them to family members.

Personal interests and style
Ruma is known for preserving the traditional aesthetics of Barmer in her craft. She enjoys cooking and singing folk songs, and has said that her work and identity are deeply tied to her desert-state roots and traditional attire.

Latest updates
By 2019 Ruma was actively leading an organization that connected thousands of rural women artisans with markets and visibility, and she continued to exhibit and promote handcrafted textile work both in India and internationally. Her profile has been strengthened by national awards and media coverage, increasing recognition for the role she plays in artisan-led livelihoods and women’s economic empowerment.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Ruma Devi, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

Exhibited at Lakme Fashion Week

Displayed her handcrafted textile collection at the Lakme Fashion Week (2015).

2015
Featured on India Today cover

Profiled on the cover of India Today magazine.

2018
Karmaveer episode, Kaun Banega Crorepati 11

Appeared on the special ‘Karmaveer’ episode and presented a handcrafted piece to Amitabh Bachchan.

2019
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Career Highlights

  1. Founded Gramin Vikas and Chetna Sansthan to support rural women artisans
  2. Grew a local craft cooperative into a network including thousands of women in Rajasthan
  3. Displayed work internationally and at major Indian fashion events
  4. Recipient of the Nari Shakti Puraskar and multiple national and international honours
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Ruma Devi born?

Ruma Devi was born on 1989.

What is Ruma Devi known for?

Ruma Devi is known for traditional Handicraft Artisan.

What is Ruma Devi’s marital status?

Ruma Devi's marital status is listed as Married.