Bhubaneswar: The 12th National Handloom Day was celebrated by the Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Department of the Odisha government at the IDCO Exhibition Ground here on Friday, underscoring the state’s commitment to preserving its rich handloom heritage while promoting innovation and sustainable growth.
Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati attended as the chief guest. Cooperation and Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar, senior officials, master weavers, designers and representatives of weaver cooperative societies were also present.
The Governor virtually laid the foundation stone for several key projects, including the Kastaa Handloom Bhavan in Jagatsinghpur, Tasar Silk Park Phase-1 and Facility Centre at Sukinda in Jajpur, an AI-based Handloom and Apparel Park at Abhimanpur in Kataka, Resham Odisha showrooms in Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Raghurajpur, seven mini garmenting units and three sales centres of primary weavers’ cooperative societies. A Fabric Calendaring Unit at Routpada in Khordha was also inaugurated.
These initiatives are expected to strengthen infrastructure, enhance production capabilities and provide greater support to weavers and textile stakeholders across the State.
Memoranda of Understanding MoU) were signed with Amazon Karigar, Grasim India Ltd. and Zuby’s Designer Studio to promote sustainable fashion and expand the reach of Odisha handlooms.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor described handloom as a symbol of heritage, dignity, skill and self-reliance. He appreciated the contribution of Odisha’s weavers in preserving the cultural identity of the State.
Minister Samanta highlighted the government’s focus on weaver welfare through infrastructure, market access, design support and social security measures.
He highlighted the State Government’s continued efforts for the welfare of weavers through infrastructure development, market promotion, design intervention, skill upgradation and social security measures.
The Minister called upon everyone to support handloom products and contribute to the livelihood of weaving communities.
In the welcome address, the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government, Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts Department outlined the Department’s initiatives for strengthening the handloom ecosystem. Emphasis was placed on innovation, traceability, sustainable production, design diversification and creating stronger market linkages for Odisha handlooms.
On this occasion, State Handloom Awards were presented, including the Lifetime Achievement Award to weaver Dr Surendra Meher of Barpali, along with awards to six eminent weavers and Tantakruti awards to four others.
Videos on the KUSUM project for revival of lost fabrics, KARUNA Silk and the use of Blockchain and IoT technology for product traceability were screened. The department’s Annual Activity Report 2025-26 was also released.
The event concluded with a call to adopt the theme ‘A Piece of Handloom in Everyone’s Life’ and support the state’s weaving community.
