Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and National Handloom Awards 2025
Why in News?
President Droupadi Murmu presented the Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and National Handloom Awards 2025 on 7 August 2026, during the 12th National Handloom Day celebrations at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi. A total of 22 awardees—3 Sant Kabir Awardees and 19 National Handloom Awardees—were recognised for excellence in weaving, design, marketing, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Key Awardees
The three Sant Kabir Handloom Awardees were:
- Runima Chetiya Choudhury, Assam — Muga silk saree.
- Ram Meher, Odisha — Bichitpar Khadi Saree.
- Shah Muhammad Ansari, Uttar Pradesh — Zarbaft Shewatambari Awadh Jamdhani Saree.
The National Handloom Awards recognised traditional craftsmanship such as Kanchipuram silk, Telangana Ikat, Maheshwari saree, Kani shawl, Khadi Muslin Jamdani and Jagatsinghpur saree. Awards were also given for design development, marketing initiatives, start-up ventures and producer companies.
About the Awards
About the Awards
- The awards are administered by the Ministry of Textiles.
- They are instituted under the Handloom Marketing Assistance component of the National Handloom Development Programme.
- The Sant Kabir Handloom Award is the highest national recognition for handloom weavers demonstrating exceptional craftsmanship, innovation, preservation of traditional techniques and contribution to the welfare of weaving communities.
- The National Handloom Award recognises excellence in weaving, design development, marketing, entrepreneurship and institutional initiatives.
- Selection involves zonal, headquarters and central-level committees comprising technical experts and government officials.
The Sant Kabir Award carries a mounted gold coin, Tamrapatra, shawl, certificate and a cash prize of ₹3.5 lakh, while the National Handloom Award carries a Tamrapatra, shawl, certificate and a cash prize of ₹2 lakh.
Significance
Significance
- Cultural preservation: Recognises India’s diverse regional weaving traditions and protects intangible cultural heritage.
- Rural livelihood: Handloom remains an important source of income, particularly for rural households and women artisans.
- Women’s empowerment: The sector provides home-based employment and supports women’s economic participation.
- Sustainable production: Handloom generally involves lower energy use and supports environmentally conscious textile production.
- Market competitiveness: Recognition of start-ups, producer companies and marketing initiatives indicates a shift from merely preserving traditions to building commercially viable handloom enterprises.
- Technology integration: The President emphasised the appropriate use of modern technology and digital platforms for the sustainable growth of the sector.
Government Support
Important initiatives for the sector include:
Important initiatives for the sector include:
- National Handloom Development Programme: Support for clusters, infrastructure, design, technology and marketing.
- Raw Material Supply Scheme: Subsidised supply of yarn and reimbursement of freight charges.
- Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata: Assistance for upgraded looms, jacquards and dobbies.
- Handloom Mark and India Handloom Brand: Certification and branding of genuine handloom products.
- Weavers’ MUDRA loans: Credit support for working capital and modernisation.
- Digital marketing: Promotion through GeM, e-commerce platforms and indiahandmade.com.
Challenges
The handloom sector faces competition from powerlooms and machine-made textiles, irregular access to quality raw material, weak market linkages, low bargaining power of individual weavers, declining interest among younger generations and imitation of traditional designs. Digital exclusion and inadequate design innovation also limit the ability of artisans to access premium markets.
Way Forward
The government should strengthen direct-to-consumer digital platforms, expand GI and Handloom Mark enforcement, provide reliable yarn at affordable prices, promote design institutions–artisan partnerships and improve social security coverage. Technology must be used to support—not replace—the skills of traditional weavers.
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The handloom sector faces competition from powerlooms and machine-made textiles, irregular access to quality raw material, weak market linkages, low bargaining power of individual weavers, declining interest among younger generations and imitation of traditional designs. Digital exclusion and inadequate design innovation also limit the ability of artisans to access premium markets.
Way Forward
The government should strengthen direct-to-consumer digital platforms, expand GI and Handloom Mark enforcement, provide reliable yarn at affordable prices, promote design institutions–artisan partnerships and improve social security coverage. Technology must be used to support—not replace—the skills of traditional weavers.
