Esther Lalduhawmi Hnamte, a young singing prodigy from Lunglei town in southern Mizoram, has been conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar in recognition of her achievements in music and cultural contribution at a young age.

Born on June 9, 2016, Hnamte began singing at the age of three, performing primarily in churches and local programmes. She gained national attention in October 2020 after a video of her rendition of AR Rahman’s “Vande Mataram” was shared by former Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga and later by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following which the video went viral.

In August 2021, she released a music video of the national anthem on YouTube featuring Assam Rifles personnel, who sponsored the project. The video crossed three million views within a week and has since garnered over 47 million views.

In December last year, Hnamte performed “Vande Mataram” at the inaugural function of the Ashtalakshmi Mahotsav in the presence of Prime Minister Modi, who praised her performance. On the occasion, she also gifted the Prime Minister a Northeast mascot doll named “Poorvi”.

The youngest of three siblings, Hnamte has received several recognitions, including special appreciation from former Mizoram governor P S Sreedharan Pillai and the Young Achievers Award presented by Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited. In 2021, she was also featured as the Amul Girl in an advertisement by the dairy cooperative.

A documentary on her life titled A Star is Born won the Best Documentary Award (Silver) at the Northeast Film Festival in 2023.

Hnamte’s achievement has been described as a moment of pride for Mizoram and the country.