UNESCO Award. Riyaz Abdulmajid Khatri was born into the Khatri Community of Dhamadka, a small village in Kutch, Gujarat. which is very famous for traditional Ajrakh hand block print crafts. His forefathers were involved in this art for many generations, but his father had to leave the craft practice and start working as a sailor because of irregular income. After high school, Riyaz abdulmajid khatri had to look for work to support his family. Since there were not many opportunities for getting new jobs, Riyaz Abdulmajid Khatri decided to try his hand at their ancestral traditional ajrakh craft. He learned the craft from his uncles. Once he learned to work, he decided to start on his own with limited resources, since they were not financially well off. With determination slowly establish his work. Initially, he had to do job work for larger artisans in his area as he did not have direct market connections. He saw opportunities in digital platforms. He started to create new products with his own designs. He got the chance to onboard some digital marketplaces like Amazon, etc., which gave him a new way of thinking. He slowly started marketing his folk art in a new way via social media and exhibitions. After gaining confidence, he started experimenting with new materials and techniques to create products and got a good response. In the year 2008, he received the Award of Excellence for Handicrafts 2008 South Asia Programme by UNESCO AND CRAFT COUNCIL OF INDIA.The Award of Excellence for Handicrafts was established by UNESCO in 2001 under the name "Seal of Excellence." In 2014, his art work was selected for the Nantong International Contemporary Craft Biennale due to its excellent designs, exquisite craftsmanship, and high quality. 2014 Nantong International Contemporary Craft Competition, which is organised by the World Crafts Council (WCC), China Arts & Crafts Association (CACA), and NICB.