President Droupadi Murmu to attend India's 12th National Handloom Day, Aug 7

India will mark its 12th National Handloom Day on 7 August at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu will serve as chief guest, joined by Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh, Minister of State Pabitra Margherita, Secretary Neelam Shami Rao and Development Commissioner Dr M Beena.

The ceremony will honour handloom weavers with 22 awards – three Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and 19 National Handloom Awards for 2025 – and will see the release of four commemorative postage stamps. Two publications, “Earth. Root. Thread – Aal Dyed Handloom Textiles of Central India” and the Handloom Awards Book 2025, will be unveiled. An exhibition and live demonstrations of Kani and wall‑hanging weaving will showcase the sector, which supports more than 3.5 million people, over 70 % of whom are women.

The event underscores the cultural and economic importance of India’s handloom heritage.