His awards include: Prix Nationale, Festival International de la Peinture, Cagness-Sur- Mer, France (1974); Padmashree, Government of India (1971); National Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi (1965); JD Rockefeller III Fellowship to Live and work in USA (1964-65); Bombay Art Society, Mumbai (1950).

His important solo exhibitions include: An Abstract Vision, Pundole Art Gallery and The Tuli Foundation for Holistic Education and Art (HEART), Mumbai (1997); Exhibition of Paintings and Drawings by V.S. Gaitonde, Vadehra Art Gallery, New Delhi (1996); solo exhibition in Mumbai (1980, 77, 74, 73, 70, 67); solo exhibition in Gallery Chanakya, New Delhi (1973); solo exhibition in Willard Gallery, New York (1965); solo exhibition in Gallery '63, New York (1963); solo exhibition in Graham Gallery, New York (1959).

His important posthumous exhibitions include: 'V. S. Gaitonde: Painting as Process, Painting as Life', The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York 2014-15; 'Nothing is Absolute: A Journey through Abstraction', The Jehangir Nicholson Gallery at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai 2013; ‘Manifestations VI', Delhi Art Gallery, New Delhi 2011; 'Roots in the Air, Branches Below: Modern & Contemporary Art from India', San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose 2011; 'Time Unfolded', Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), New Delhi 2011; 'V S Gaitonde: Works from Private Collections', Saffronart, New Delhi 2011; 'The Progressives & Associates', Grosvenor Gallery, London 2010; 'Black and White', Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Mumbai 2010; 'Masters of Maharashtra', collection from Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi at Piramal Gallery, National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai 2010; 'Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art', Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 2009; ''Progressive to Altermodern: 62 Years of Indian Modern Art'', Grosvenor Gallery, London 2009; 'Moderns', Royal Cultural Centre, Amman, Jordan organized by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi in collaboration with Embassy of India, Amman, Jordan 2008; 'Multiple Modernities: India, 1905-2005'', Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA 2008; ‘India Art Now: Between Continuity and Transformation’, Province of Milan, Milan, Italy 2007-08; ‘Modern Indian Art’, organized by Saffronart and Pundole Art Gallery, Mumbai at the Metropolitan Pavilion, New York 2001; ‘Indian Contemporary Art : Post Independence’, Vadehra Art Gallery, National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi 1997; ‘Tryst with Destiny : Art from Modern India’, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore 1997; ‘Coups de Coeur - Exhibition of Indian Paintings’, Geneva, Switzerland 1986; ‘Contemporary Indian Painters’, Festival of India in USA, Grey Art Gallery, USA 1985; ‘Modern Indian Paintings’, organized by National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi 1982; Hirshhorn Museum, Washington DC; 1982 ‘India : Myth and Reality’, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), Oxford, UK 1982; ‘Contemporary Indian Art’, Festival of India, Royal Academy of Arts, London 1982; ‘Ten Contemporary Indian painters’, M.I.T and New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, USA 1965; ‘Young Asian Artists’, Tokyo 1957; ‘Five Thousand Years of Indian Art’, Essex 1957.