Speaking at the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology (CoE-HT) at IIT Delhi, Singh expressed confidence that the initiative would significantly improve livelihoods. “In the coming days, weavers will have an income of at least Rs 6 lakh per annum,” he said.
Textiles Secretary Neelam Shami Rao underscored the importance of stronger collaboration among academia, industry and government institutions to develop practical, technology-driven solutions for the handloom sector.
Development Commissioner (Handlooms) Dr. M. Beena said the Centre of Excellence would serve as a hub for research, innovation, knowledge sharing and skill development, creating new opportunities for weavers, designers, entrepreneurs and startups across the handloom value chain.
The CoE-HT will focus on research in areas such as loom modernisation, ergonomics, artificial intelligence, sustainability, functional innovation and digital technologies. It will also establish a national repository of handloom knowledge, develop AI-enabled tools, facilitate technology transfer, support startups, and train at least 1,000 weavers, faculty members and handloom professionals over the next five years.
During the event, the ministry also launched five flagship initiatives under the Centre, including the Handloom 4.0 mobile app for digital loom monitoring, Handloom e-Vidya for online learning and skill development, HandloomX to support startups, Kalagriha Handloom Studio to promote digitally enabled design and customization, and Threads of Valour, which converts recycled defence textiles into premium handloom fabrics.