The Ministry of Textiles has launched a national innovation challenge – Handloom Hackathon 2026, aimed at harnessing technology, design, entrepreneurship and sustainable solutions to strengthen India’s handloom sector.

 

The initiative is being organised as part of the celebrations of National Handloom Day 2026. Online registrations are open until 20th of this month. Students, innovators, startups, researchers, designers, entrepreneurs and handloom practitioners can register and submit their ideas through www.youthideathon.in/handloom. The grand finale of the Hackathon will be held on 1st of August at the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi, where shortlisted teams will present their solutions before an eminent jury. 

 

Speaking on the initiative, Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles Dr. M. Beena said that the Handloom Hackathon 2026 seeks to bring together the creativity of the country’s youth with the rich heritage of the handloom sector. She said, by providing a collaborative platform for weavers,  designers, entrepreneurs and innovators, the initiative aims to generate practical and scalable solutions that address key challenges, enhance competitiveness and contribute to the sustainable growth of the handloom sector.