Centre launches Handloom Hackathon; invites J&K innovators to transform weaving sector

Ziraat Times Team Report

New Delhi, July 8: The Ministry of Textiles has launched the Handloom Hackathon 2026 – “Weaving Innovation”, a nationwide innovation challenge aimed at promoting technology-driven, sustainable and entrepreneurial solutions for India’s handloom sector as part of the National Handloom Day 2026 celebrations.

The initiative, launched by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), seeks to bring together students, weavers, designers, technologists, entrepreneurs, researchers and startups to develop practical solutions for some of the sector’s key challenges.

The grand finale of the hackathon will be held on August 1 at the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi, where shortlisted teams will present their ideas before a jury comprising experts from academia, industry, design, technology and the handloom sector.

Development Commissioner (Handlooms) Dr M. Beena said the hackathon aims to combine the creativity of India’s youth with the country’s rich handloom heritage.

“The Handloom Hackathon 2026 seeks to bring together the creativity of India’s youth with the rich heritage of the handloom sector. By providing a collaborative platform for weavers, students, designers, technologists, entrepreneurs and innovators, the initiative aims to generate practical and scalable solutions that address key challenges, enhance competitiveness and contribute to the sustainable growth of the handloom sector,” she said.

According to the ministry, participants will be encouraged to develop innovative solutions in areas such as product and design innovation, sustainability and circularity, digital technologies, branding, market access, supply chain efficiency, productivity enhancement, business development and social impact.

The hackathon also aims to strengthen collaboration between the handloom ecosystem and India’s growing innovation and startup landscape by promoting interdisciplinary problem-solving.

Participation is open to students pursuing higher education in textiles, fashion, design, engineering, management and technology, as well as handloom weavers, artisans, researchers, startups, entrepreneurs, innovators and professionals.

The ministry said promising and implementable ideas emerging from the competition may be considered for mentoring, incubation and further development in collaboration with partner institutions, wherever feasible.

Online registrations will remain open until July 20, with interested participants invited to submit their ideas through the official hackathon portal.

The Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), the apex body for the promotion and development of India’s handloom sector, said the initiative is intended to support the sector’s modernisation, improve weavers’ livelihoods and preserve the country’s rich weaving traditions while enhancing global competitiveness.

8 COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here