10th National Handloom Day: Highlighting India’s rich textile Heritage and ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative

The 10th National Handloom Day will be celebrated with great fervor at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event, is aimed at honoring the rich heritage and vibrant tradition of handlooms across India, will be graced by the Hon’ble Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankar as the Chief Guest.

The celebration will see the presence of Union Textiles Minister Shri Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs & Textiles Shri Pabitra Margherita, and other dignitaries including Members of Parliament, eminent personalities, designers, industry representatives, exporters, and senior government officers. Over 1000 weavers from various parts of the country also attended the event.

In his message on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings, expressing immense pride in the nation’s handloom heritage and the relentless efforts of its artisans. He reiterated the government’s commitment to the ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative, encouraging the promotion of indigenous handloom products.

The function included the conferral of the prestigious Sant Kabir Awards and National Handloom Awards to handloom weavers for their exceptional contributions to the sector. The Hon’ble Vice President of India released an Award Catalogue and a Coffee Table Book titled “Parampara – Sustainability in Handloom Traditions of India,” showcasing the sustainability practices within India’s handloom traditions.

The celebration of National Handloom Day, began on August 7, 2015, commemorating the Swadeshi Movement launched on August 7, 1905. This movement encouraged the use of indigenous products, especially handlooms, and played a significant role in India’s struggle for independence. National Handloom Day aims to honor the handloom weavers and promote a sense of pride in the handloom industry by acknowledging their contributions to the cultural, traditional, and economic landscape of the country. The celebrations also seek to raise awareness about the handloom sector’s importance and its role in socio-economic development.

This year, the 10th National Handloom Day celebrations featured a variety of activities organised across the country by state governments, weaver service centers under the Office of Development Commissioner (Handloom), apex handloom bodies, educational institutions such as the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT), National Handloom Development Corporation, and the National Crafts Museum.

Key activities included:

• A social media campaign through the My Gov portal featuring pledges, selfies, a souvenir design contest, and a quiz contest.
• “Virasat,” an exclusive exhibition of handloom products with thematic displays and live demonstrations at Handloom Haat, New Delhi (August 3-16).
• Another “Virasat” exhibition at Delhi Haat INA (August 1-15).
• A special sourcing show (B2B) in Varanasi organised by the Handloom Export Promotion Council (August 7-9).
• The “Know Your Weaves” event at the Crafts Museum (August 1-14), aimed at creating awareness among students about India’s handlooms, with around 10,000 students from Delhi schools participating.
• Handloom expos and awareness activities in colleges organised by weaver service centers across the country.
• Awareness activities, including thematic displays, weaving demonstrations, panel discussions, quizzes on handlooms, and fashion presentations by NIFT and IIHTs.