Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology (CoE-HT) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, marking a major step towards modernising India’s handloom sector through technology, innovation and research.
The Centre aims to integrate India’s traditional weaving heritage with advanced technologies to build a future-ready handloom ecosystem. The inaugural ceremony was attended by Textiles Secretary Neelam Shami Rao, Development Commissioner (Handlooms) Dr. M. Beena, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Amrit Raj, IIT Delhi Director-in-Charge Prof. Arvind K. Nema, Dean Prof. Ashwini Agrawal, senior government officials, researchers, startup founders, representatives of the handloom industry and weavers from across the country.
Addressing the gathering, Singh said the Centre of Excellence reflects the government’s vision of combining India’s rich handloom traditions with cutting-edge technology to strengthen the sector. He said innovation, digital technologies, sustainability and entrepreneurship would play a vital role in improving productivity, expanding market access and enhancing the livelihoods of handloom weavers.
Rao emphasised the importance of stronger collaboration between academia, industry and government institutions to develop practical technological solutions for the handloom sector.
Dr. Beena said the Centre would serve as a catalyst for research, innovation, knowledge sharing and skill development, creating new opportunities for weavers, designers, entrepreneurs and startups across the handloom value chain.
During the event, the Ministry launched five flagship initiatives aimed at accelerating innovation, sustainability and digital transformation in the sector. These include the Handloom 4.0 Mobile App, which enables digital monitoring of loom productivity, quality, maintenance and sustainability; Handloom e-Vidya, a digital learning and knowledge platform for capacity building; HandloomX, an accelerator and incubation platform supporting startups and innovators across the Ministry’s 5F value chain; Kalagriha Handloom Studio (GenZ Design Studio), which uses digital technologies to connect contemporary consumers with authentic handloom products through customisation and visualisation; and Threads of Valour, a sustainability initiative that transforms recycled defence textiles into premium handloom fabrics through scientific recycling and skilled craftsmanship.
The Centre of Excellence will undertake research in areas such as loom modernisation, ergonomics, artificial intelligence, sustainability, functional innovation and digital technologies. It will also develop a national repository of handloom knowledge, create AI-enabled tools, facilitate technology transfer, support startups and train at least 1,000 weavers, faculty members and handloom professionals over the next five years.
According to the Textiles Ministry, the Centre is expected to strengthen the entire handloom ecosystem by bringing together academia, industry, startups and handloom institutions. It aims to preserve India’s rich handloom heritage while equipping the sector with advanced technologies and innovation-led solutions, ultimately enhancing the global competitiveness of Indian handloom products.
