Giriraj Singh inaugurates Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology at IIT Delhi

Giriraj Singh, yesterday inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology (CoE-HT) at IIT Delhi, marking a significant milestone in the Government's efforts to modernise India's handloom sector through technology, innovation and research.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; Dr. M. Beena, Development Commissioner (Handlooms); Smt. Amrit Raj, Development Commissioner (Handicrafts); Prof. Arvind K. Nema, Director-in-charge, IIT Delhi, IIT Delhi; Prof. Ashwini Agrawal, Dean, IITD; senior officials of the Ministry of Textiles, faculty members, researchers, startup founders, representatives of the handloom industry and weavers from across the country.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Giriraj Singh said that the Centre of Excellence represents the Government's vision of combining India's rich weaving heritage with cutting-edge technologies to create a future-ready handloom ecosystem. He emphasised that innovation, digital technologies, sustainability and entrepreneurship will play a crucial role in improving productivity, enhancing market access and ensuring better livelihoods for handloom weavers.

Smt. Neelam Shami Rao underlined the need for stronger collaboration between academia, industry and government institutions to develop practical technological solutions for the handloom sector.

Dr. M. Beena stated that the Centre would become a catalyst for research, knowledge sharing, skill development and innovation, creating new opportunities for weavers, designers, entrepreneurs and startups across the handloom value chain.