Alka Yagnik conferred Padma Bhushan, receives Honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan ceremony

Veteran playback singer Alka Yagnik was conferred with the Padma Bhushan on Tuesday by President Droupadi Murmu at the second investiture ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

Before receiving the honour, the singer was seen touching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s feet as a mark of respect, drawing attention during the ceremony. Yagnik was among several eminent personalities honoured for their contribution to Indian arts and culture.

Earlier in March, Yagnik had expressed happiness over being selected for the prestigious civilian award, saying she was grateful to the Government of India for the recognition.

One of India’s most celebrated playback singers, Alka Yagnik has recorded thousands of songs across multiple languages and has been a dominant voice in Bollywood music for over four decades. She holds records for the highest number of female solo songs in the Hindi film industry alongside legends like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.

Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards and multiple Filmfare Awards. She has also been featured among global music records, with billions of YouTube streams credited to her songs.

In recent years, Yagnik revealed she has been diagnosed with a rare sensory neural hearing disorder, but continues to remain an iconic figure in Indian music.

Her voice was last heard in the 2024 film Amar Singh Chamkila, where she collaborated with composer A.R. Rahman.