Executive Summary
The second edition of Handloom Hackathon 2.0 – "Weaving Innovations" concluded at IIT Delhi, marking a successful collaboration between the Ministry of Textiles and academia to modernize India’s handloom sector. The event recognized technology-driven solutions aimed at improving weaver livelihoods, sustainability, and market competitiveness. A key upcoming milestone is the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology at IIT Delhi, scheduled for the week following the event.
Key Points / Main Content
Event Overview and Participation
Organized by the Ministry of Textiles in collaboration with the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi.
Attracted over 2,500 participants, with 280 finalists representing the top 100 shortlisted teams from across India.
The initiative provided a national platform for innovators, researchers, and faculty to address challenges in the handloom ecosystem.
Thematic Focus and Winning Innovations
Solutions were recognized across four categories: Weaver Livelihoods & Financial Inclusion, Market Access & Digital Integration, Sustainability & Environmental Impact, and Innovation in Design & Operations.
Winning projects included AI-enabled platforms for weaver livelihoods, digital market access tools, eco-friendly dyeing and monitoring systems, and innovations for loom modernization.
The winning teams represented diverse institutions, including IIT Madras, IIHT Salem, Banaras Hindu University, and various engineering colleges and startups.
Institutional and Digital Initiatives
Indian Handmade Portal: Highlighted as a key e-commerce initiative by the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) to allow weavers to sell globally without intermediaries.
Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology: A new facility at IIT Delhi proposed for inauguration next week to strengthen technology integration, standardization, and productivity.
Collaborative Framework: Emphasis on partnerships between the government, premier institutions (IITs and NIFTs), and industry to integrate scientific precision into traditional weaving.
Impact Analysis
WeaversImpact
Weavers benefit from reduced manual effort, increased productivity, and the preservation of traditional craftsmanship through modern tools. Digital platforms provide them with direct global market access and improved financial inclusion.
Action Required
Weavers are encouraged to utilize the Indian Handmade Portal for sales and adopt new technological interventions to enhance their competitiveness and livelihoods.
Innovators and Researchers (Academia)Impact
Innovators receive a platform to apply research to real-world challenges, fostering a culture of practical problem-solving for the handloom sector.
Action Required
Finalist teams and researchers are encouraged to continue developing and refining technology-led interventions that support long-term sustainability and social impact.
Ministry of TextilesImpact
The event reaffirms the Ministry's commitment to fostering a technology-enabled and globally competitive handloom ecosystem.
Action Required
The Ministry must proceed with the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology at IIT Delhi and continue facilitating industry-academia collaborations.
Key Entities Referenced
Handloom Hackathon 2.0: A national initiative organized by the Ministry of Textiles to foster technology-led innovations, loom modernization, and design improvements in India's handloom sector.
Ministry of Textiles: The primary government body responsible for the policy formulation, planning, and development of the handloom sector and the organizer of the hackathon.
Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology: A forthcoming facility at IIT Delhi proposed to strengthen the integration of modern technology with traditional weaving for better standardization and productivity.
Indian Handmade Portal: An e-commerce platform launched by the Development Commissioner (Handlooms) to enable weavers to sell products globally without intermediaries.
IIT Delhi: The premier academic partner and venue for the hackathon, collaborating on technological interventions and the establishment of a specialized Centre of Excellence.
Ministry of Textiles
Handloom Hackathon 2.0 Concludes at IIT Delhi,
Showcasing Technology-led Innovations for
India's Handloom Sector
Ministry of Textiles highlights technology, sustainability and
institutional partnerships to strengthen the handloom sector
प्रव तथ: 02 AUG 2026 8:22AM by PIB Delhi
The second edition of Handloom Hackathon 2.0 – "Weaving Innovations" concluded successfully at the
Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi. Organised in collaboration with the
Ministry of Textiles. The Hackathon attracted over 2,500 participants, with 280 participants representing
the top 100 shortlisted teams from across the country to develop technology-driven solutions for India's
handloom sector.
The Hackathon provided a national platform for innovators, researchers, faculty members and handloom
experts to address challenges relating to loom modernisation, design innovation, sustainability, market
access and weaver livelihoods through technological interventions. The shortlisted teams showcased
innovative solutions across diverse themes aimed at improving productivity, preserving traditional
craftsmanship and enhancing the competitiveness of the handloom sector.The event was graced by Dr. M. Beena, IAS, Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of
Textiles, along with Dr. Deepti Gupta, Head, Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering, IIT Delhi; Mr.
Pankaj Kapadia, Secretary, IIT Delhi Alumni Association; and Mr. Sanjeeva Shivesh, Co-founder,
ThinkStartup, reflecting the collaborative efforts of government, academia and industry in advancing
innovation for the handloom sector.
Addressing the participants, Dr. M. Beena highlighted the complementary relationship between India's
rich handloom heritage and modern technology.
"Handloom represents our rich heritage, whereas technology represents the future. Through the Handloom
Hackathon, we are combining these two realms to uplift our weaver community."
She stated that handloom inherently promotes sustainability and circularity and emphasised the need for
innovation across loom processes, design development and modern marketing. She highlighted key
initiatives of the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), including the Indian Handmade
Portal, an e-commerce platform that enables weavers to showcase and sell their products globally without
third-party intermediaries.
Dr. M. Beena further underlined the importance of institutional partnerships with premier institutions such
as IITs and NIFTs to develop technological solutions that reduce manual effort, integrate scientific
precision into traditional weaving processes and enhance the livelihoods of weavers.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Pankaj Kapadia highlighted the role of technology in revitalising the
handloom sector and welcomed the collaboration between traditional craftsmanship and innovation.
Dr. Deepti Gupta stated that the forthcoming Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology at IIT Delhi
would strengthen the integration of technology with handloom, enabling greater standardisation and
productivity while preserving the uniqueness of handcrafted textiles. The Centre is proposed to be
inaugurated next week in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles.
Mr. Sanjeeva Shivesh congratulated the finalist teams and encouraged them to continue developing
innovative solutions for the handloom sector, describing their selection among the finalists as an important
milestone towards creating meaningful social and economic impact.The Hackathon reaffirmed the Ministry of Textiles' commitment to fostering innovation, collaborative
research and technology-led interventions for strengthening India's handloom ecosystem. By encouraging
young innovators to develop practical solutions for the sector, the initiative aims to improve productivity,
sustainability and market competitiveness while preserving the country's rich handloom heritage.
The winners of Handloom Hackathon 2.0 were recognised across four thematic categories—Weaver
Livelihoods & Financial Inclusion, Market Access & Digital Integration, Sustainability & Environmental
Impact, and Innovation in Design & Operations. The winning solutions included AI-enabled platforms for
weaver livelihoods, digital market access tools, eco-friendly dyeing and monitoring systems, and
technology-driven innovations for loom modernisation and design.
The winning teams represented various colleges such as KCG College of Technology, IIHT Salem, IIT
Madras, Banaras Hindu University, Sri Eshwar College of Engineering, Kumaraguru College of
Technology, KLB IIHT Hyderabad, and the startup Savinya Studio.
The successful conclusion of Handloom Hackathon 2.0 marks another important step in the Ministry of
Textiles' efforts to promote innovation, strengthen academia-industry collaboration and build a
technology-enabled, sustainable and globally competitive handloom ecosystem that supports the long-term
growth and prosperity of India's weavers.
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