Union Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurates Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology at IIT Delhi
05 August 2026: A Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology has opened at IIT Delhi to support technology development, research and skills in India’s handloom sector. Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh inaugurated the centre on 3 August 2026.
The centre, known as CoE-HT, brings IIT Delhi together with the Ministry of Textiles, handloom institutions, industry representatives, researchers, startups and weavers. Its work will cover loom modernisation, ergonomics, artificial intelligence, sustainability, functional innovation and digital technologies.
Five initiatives launched
Five programmes were introduced at the inauguration. The Handloom 4.0 mobile app is intended to monitor loom productivity, quality, maintenance and sustainability. Handloom e-Vidya will provide digital learning and knowledge resources for people working across the sector.
HandloomX will serve as an accelerator and incubation platform for startups and innovators. The Kalagriha Handloom Studio, also described as a Gen Z design studio, will use customisation and visualisation tools to connect contemporary consumers with handloom products.
The fifth initiative, Threads of Valour, aims to turn recycled defence textiles into handloom fabrics using scientific recycling and weaving skills.
Research, training and technology transfer
The Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology plans to create a national repository of handloom knowledge and develop AI-enabled tools. It will also support technology transfer, startup activity and training.
The Ministry said the centre has set a target of training at least 1,000 weavers, faculty members and handloom professionals over the next five years. This is a future target rather than a completed training figure.
At the inauguration, Giriraj Singh said digital technology, sustainability and entrepreneurship could help improve productivity, market access and weaver livelihoods. Textiles Secretary Neelam Shami Rao called for closer collaboration among academic institutions, industry and government bodies to develop practical solutions.
Development Commissioner for Handlooms M. Beena said the centre would support research, knowledge sharing, skill development and innovation across the handloom value chain.
The centre’s stated role is to connect technical research with problems faced by weavers and handloom businesses. Its results will depend on how effectively the new tools, training programmes and research move from the institute into workshops, clusters and markets.
