The second edition of Handloom Hackathon 2.0: “Weaving Innovations” was successfully concluded at the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi, in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles.
According to the Ministry of Textiles, the event attracted over 2,500 participants nationwide, with 280 contestants representing the top 100 shortlisted teams. They developed technology-driven solutions aimed at advancing India’s handloom sector.
The hackathon served as a national platform for innovators, researchers, faculty members and handloom experts to tackle challenges related to loom modernisation, design innovation, sustainability, market access and the livelihoods of weavers through technological interventions. Shortlisted teams displayed solutions targeting productivity improvement, preservation of traditional craftsmanship and enhancement of the sector’s competitiveness.
Addressing the participants, M Beena, IAS, Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, emphasised the complementary relationship between India’s rich handloom heritage and modern technology. “Handloom represents our rich heritage, whereas technology represents the future. Through the Handloom Hackathon, we are combining these two realms to uplift our weaver community,” she said.
She highlighted handloom’s inherent promotion of sustainability and circularity, calling for innovation in loom processes, design development and modern marketing. Beena also noted key initiatives including the Indian Handmade Portal, an e-commerce platform enabling weavers to showcase and sell products globally without third-party intermediaries.
Further, she underlined the importance of institutional partnerships with premier establishments such as IITs and NIFTs to develop technological solutions that reduce manual effort, integrate scientific precision into weaving and enhance weavers’ livelihoods.
The event featured participation from Deepti Gupta, Head of the Department of Textile and Fibre Engineering at IIT Delhi; Pankaj Kapadia, Secretary of the IIT Delhi Alumni Association; and Sanjeeva Shivesh, Co-founder of ThinkStartup, highlighting collaboration among government, academia and industry in advancing handloom innovation.
Speaking at the occasion, Pankaj Kapadia noted technology’s role in revitalising the handloom sector and welcomed cooperation between traditional craftsmanship and innovation.
Deepti Gupta announced the forthcoming Centre of Excellence for Handloom Technology at IIT Delhi, which aims to strengthen integration of technology with handloom to enable standardisation and productivity improvement while preserving handcrafted textile uniqueness. The Centre is scheduled to be inaugurated next week in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles.
Sanjeeva Shivesh congratulated the finalist teams, encouraging continued development of innovative solutions. He described their selection as a significant milestone towards generating social and economic impact.
The hackathon reiterated the Ministry of Textiles’ commitment to promoting innovation, collaborative research and technology-driven interventions to strengthen India’s handloom ecosystem. By encouraging young innovators to devise practical solutions, the initiative aims to improve productivity, sustainability and market competitiveness while preserving the nation’s handloom heritage.
Winners were recognised across four thematic categories: Weaver Livelihoods & Financial Inclusion, Market Access & Digital Integration, Sustainability & Environmental Impact, and Innovation in Design & Operations. Winning solutions featured AI-enabled platforms for weaver livelihoods, digital market tools, eco-friendly dyeing and monitoring systems, and technology-driven loom modernisation and design innovations.
The winning teams represented institutions including KCG College of Technology, IIHT Salem, IIT Madras, Banaras Hindu University, Sri Eshwar College of Engineering, Kumaraguru College of Technology, KLB IIHT Hyderabad, and startup Savinya Studio.
The conclusion of Handloom Hackathon 2.0 marks a significant advancement in the Ministry of Textiles’ efforts to foster innovation, enhance academia-industry collaboration and develop a technology-enabled, sustainable and globally competitive handloom sector supporting long-term growth and prosperity of Indian weavers.
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