New Delhi, Aug 7: Celebrating India’s centuries-old weaving heritage and the artisans who continue to keep it alive, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the prestigious Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and National Handloom Awards 2025 on 22 outstanding weavers, designers, cooperatives and entrepreneurs at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre (RBCC) on the occasion of National Handloom Day 2026.

The National Handloom Day awards recognise exceptional craftsmanship, innovation and significant contributions towards preserving India’s rich textile heritage. The awardees represent the country’s diverse weaving traditions, ranging from Kanchipuram silk and Banarasi Jamdani to Gujarat’s Tangaliya and Sikkim’s Lepcha textiles.

The prestigious Sant Kabir Handloom Awards, regarded as the highest civilian recognition in the handloom sector, were presented to three master artisans.

Ram Meher from Odisha was honoured for his work in weaving the Bichitpar Khadi Saree. Runima Chetiya Choudhury of Assam received the award for her Muga Silk Saree, while Shah Muhammad Ansari of Uttar Pradesh was recognised for his craftsmanship in the rare Zarbaft Shewatambari Awadh Jamdhani Saree.

The recognition on National Handloom Day highlights the dedication of artisans who continue to preserve traditional techniques while maintaining the distinctive identity of India's regional textiles.

A total of 19 recipients were honoured under various categories of the National Handloom Awards, recognising excellence in weaving, design development, marketing and entrepreneurship.

The award-winning weaves include Kanchipuram Silk Sarees from Tamil Nadu, Ikat Sarees from Telangana, Cotton Tussar Half-and-Half Jamdani Sarees from Andhra Pradesh, Maheshwari Sarees from Madhya Pradesh, Kani Shawls from Jammu and Kashmir, 500-count Khadi Muslin Jamdani Sarees from West Bengal and Jagatsinghpur Sarees from Odisha.

The National Handloom Day 2026 awards also recognised women weavers, young artisans, tribal weavers, divyang weavers and craftspeople working to revive endangered weaving traditions.

The awards also acknowledged contributions beyond weaving. Gopinathan MV of Tamil Nadu and Mantu Basak of West Bengal were recognised for design development.

For marketing and promotion of handloom products, N. Venkateswara Rao of Andhra Pradesh and CH-31 Kovilvazhi Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society of Tamil Nadu received awards.

Meanwhile, Assam-based Marvella Associates was recognised under the Start-up Ventures/Producer Company category.

The awardees represent 13 states and Union Territories, including Odisha, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Manipur, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Sikkim.

The diversity of the award-winning textiles reflects the extraordinary richness of India’s handloom sector, encompassing luxurious silks, intricate Jamdani weaves, tribal textiles and sustainable natural-dyed fabrics.

Observed every year on August 7, National Handloom Day commemorates the Swadeshi Movement of 1905 and highlights the contribution of the handloom sector to India’s cultural heritage and rural economy.