New Delhi, Aug. 4: President Droupadi Murmu will confer the prestigious Handloom Awards 2025 during the National Handloom Day celebrations on August 7, 2026, recognising outstanding contributions to India’s handloom sector, the Ministry of Textiles announced on Tuesday.
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, senior government officials, master weavers, designers, exporters, artisans and industry representatives will attend the ceremony.
A total of 22 awardees will be honoured, including three Sant Kabir Handloom Award recipients and 19 National Handloom Award winners, for their exceptional contributions to preserving, promoting and developing India’s rich handloom traditions.
The awards recognise excellence in weaving, innovation, design development, marketing initiatives, start-up enterprises and producer companies. Instituted under the Handloom Marketing Assistance (HMA) component of the National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), they represent the country’s highest national recognition in the handloom sector.
The Sant Kabir Handloom Award, the highest honour for handloom weavers, recognises lifetime excellence in craftsmanship, preservation of traditional weaving techniques, innovation, mentoring artisans and community development. Awardees receive a gold coin, copper plaque, shawl and certificate.
The National Handloom Award honours weavers and other stakeholders for excellence in creativity, quality, innovation, product development and market outreach while preserving India’s diverse handloom heritage. Winners receive a copper plaque, shawl and certificate.
According to the ministry, awardees were selected through a multi-tier evaluation process involving zonal, headquarters and central-level selection committees comprising technical experts, professionals and senior government officials to ensure transparency and merit-based recognition. Categories related to design development, marketing, start-ups and producer companies also underwent detailed scrutiny before final approval.
The event is expected to witness participation from Members of Parliament, senior government officials, industry experts, academic institutions, exporters, designers and handloom weavers from across the country.
