Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh inaugurated the ‘Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology’ (CoE-HT) at IIT Delhi on Monday. This initiative marks a significant step by the government towards making India’s handloom sector modern, competitive, and future-ready through technology, innovation, and research.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Textiles, including Secretary Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, Development Commissioner (Handlooms) Dr. M. Beena, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Smt. Amrit Raj, IIT Delhi Director-in-Charge Prof. Arvind K. Nema, and Dean Prof. Ashwini Agrawal along with representatives of the handloom industry and weavers from across the country, were present at the inaugural ceremony.
Shri Giriraj Singh stated that the Centre of Excellence is a significant initiative towards integrating India’s rich handloom tradition with modern technology. He remarked that innovation, digital technology, sustainable development, and entrepreneurship would boost weavers’ productivity, provide them with better market access, and significantly strengthen their livelihoods.
Five key initiatives of the Centre were launched during the event:
- The Handloom 4.0 mobile app, which demonstrates digital monitoring capabilities regarding loom statistics, quality, and sustainability.
- HandloomX is an accelerator and incubation platform that supports startups and innovators working within the Ministry’s 5F value chain.
- Handloom e-Vidya is a comprehensive digital learning and knowledge platform for capacity building within the handloom ecosystem.
- Threads of Valour is a sustainable development initiative that transforms recycled defence textiles into premium handloom fabrics through scientific recycling and skilled craftsmanship.
- Kalagrih Handloom Studio (GenZ Design Studio) is connecting today’s customers with authentic handloom products through customization and visualization, leveraging digital technology.
This center will promote research into loom modernization, artificial intelligence, sustainable technologies, and digital innovation. Additionally, it will work to support startups, develop AI-based solutions, and train over 1,000 weavers and handloom professionals over the next five years.
This center will promote modern technology, research, and innovation while preserving India’s rich handloom heritage. Furthermore, by empowering the handloom sector through collaboration with academic institutions, industry, and startups, it will play a pivotal role in enhancing the global competitiveness of Indian products.
(PIB)
