The 10th National Handloom was celebrated here today with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar as the chief guest. Union Minister of Textiles Shri Giriraj Singh and Minister of State Shri Pabitra Margherita also attended the event.

Shri Dhankhar during his address emphasised that handloom products are the core component of Prime Minister's "Be Vocal for Local" campaign. Promoting handlooms is the need of the hour, need of the country, and need of the planet due to the threat of climate change, he said. The Vice President said economic nationalism is fundamental to our economic growth and economic independence.

Shri Singh during his speech said that India has the largest handloom community in the world focused around sustainability and energy efficiency. The world is moving towards usage of sustainable products and handloom industry produces zero-carbon footprint and does not consume any energy, he said adding that Handloom industry is also a zero-water footprint sector.

The Union Minister noted that guided by PM Narendra Modi, the Government started celebrating National Handloom Day from August 7, 2015. He mentioned that the date was chosen to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement launched on the same day in 1905 to encourage weavers and indigenous industries. Shri Singh highlighted PM Narendra Modi’s efforts to bring technology, marketing, design and fashion under the Cluster Development Programme (CDP) and said that his government is working towards providing fair remuneration to the weavers. The Government is trying to improve the textile value chain for better income opportunities for the weavers and their families, he added.

70% of handloom weavers in the country are women as Handloom sector is women-led, the Minister said. The Union Minister also highlighted the importance of traditional weaving and urged the weavers to impart the same tradition to their children. He urged them to fully utilize the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) to raise their skills.

Emphasising the need for faster adoption of handloom products, the Union Minister expressed hope that handloom products will soon be widely used by the citizens. He asked the officials to work hard help India expand the handlooms market worldwide and boost employment opportunities for weavers and their families. 

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