Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Government has launched the Handloom Hackathon 2026 — Weaving Innovation — a national innovation challenge to harness technology, design, entrepreneurship and sustainable solutions for India’s handloom sector, an official statement said on July 8.
The hackathon — organised by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, as part of National Handloom Day 2026 celebrations — will culminate in a grand finale on August 1 at the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi.
In the grand finale, shortlisted teams will present their solutions before a jury comprising experts from academia, industry, design, technology and the handloom sector.
“The Handloom Hackathon 2026 seeks to bring together the creativity of India’s youth with the rich heritage of the handloom sector,” said M. Beena, Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles.
The program aims to generate practical and scalable solutions that address key challenges, enhance competitiveness and contribute to the sustainable growth of the handloom sector by providing a collaborative platform for weavers, students, designers and technologists, she added.
Participation is open to students pursuing higher education in textiles, fashion, design, engineering, management and technology, as well as handloom weavers, artisans, researchers, startups, entrepreneurs, innovators and professionals.
The initiative invites innovative solutions across a broad range of thematic areas, including product and design innovation, sustainability and circularity, digital technologies, market access, branding, supply chain efficiency, productivity enhancement, business development and social impact.
