National Handloom Day is observed annually on August 07 in India to honour India’s handloom-weaving community and to highlight the sector’s contribution to India’s socio-economic development.Every year, the Ministry of Textiles in India hosts an event to commemorate National Handloom Day.
- August 07, 2022 marks the 8th National Handloom Day.
- In 2022, the handloom celebratory week coincides with the government’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign, an initiative under the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav encouraging people to hoist flags at their homes and contribute to nation-building in the 75th year of Independence.
Note – The theme of National Handloom Day 2021 is “Handloom, an Indian Legacy”.
Background
- The Government of India (GoI) designated August 7 of each year as National Handloom Day in 2015.
- On August 7, 2015, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated the first National Handloom Day at Madras University’s Centenary Hall in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Why August 07?
- The date of August 7 was chosen to honour the Swadeshi Movement, which was launched on this day in 1905 in the Calcutta Town Hall in Kolkata, West Bengal.
- As a component of the Indian Independence Movement, the Swadeshi Movement was started on August 7, 1905, and it encouraged domestic industries, particularly handloom weavers.
The Swadeshi movement was started in Bengal by the Indian National Congress (INC) when Lord Curzon, who was the then viceroy of India, announced the partition of Bengal in July 1905.
Significance of Handloom Sector in India
i. Handloom is a hallmark of India’s diverse cultural heritage and a vital source of income in rural and semi-rural areas.
- This sector specifically promotes the empowerment of women with more than 70% of all weavers and related workers being women.
- It has an eco-friendly production process with low capital and power requirements, as well as the ability to evolve to meet changing fashion trends and preferences.
ii.The GoI has devised a number of schemes, including the Handloom Weavers Comprehensive Welfare Scheme, the National Handloom Development Programme, the Yarn Supply Scheme, and the Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme, among others.
National Handloom Day 2022: Events 
i. On August 7, 2022, the Ministry of Textiles, GoI, organized a function to commemorate National Handloom Day 2022.
- Chief Guest – Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles.
- Guest of Honour –Minister of State (MoS) Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Textiles.
ii.Five Design Resource Centers were established in Panipat (Haryana), Nagpur (Maharashtra), Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), Kolkata (West Bengal), and Indore (Madhya Pradesh). 82 SantKabir and National Handloom Awards were presented on this occasion.
iii. The Ministry of Textiles has taken the initiative to host exhibitions in London (United Kingdom) and Madrid (Spain).
- On this occasion, a Quiz Contest on Handlooms was organized by the Office of Development Commissioner (DC-Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, in association with MyGov.
- It has also organized a Selfie Contest in which Indian citizens are encouraged to wear Indian Handlooms and share selfies showcasing their bonding with it.
- Citizens of India are encouraged to sign a National Pledge To Use Indian Handloom on the MyGov platform.
iv.The Day was celebrated across India in all the Weaver Service Centres, Clusters and Handloom Pockets, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) campuses and offices of National Handloom Development Corporation.
About Ministry of Textiles:
Union Minister – Piyush Goyal (Rajya Sabha – Maharashtra)
Minister of State (MoS) – Darshana Vikram Jardosh (Surat Constituency, Gujarat)
