New Delhi [India], August 7 : Celebrating India's centuries-old weaving traditions and the artisans who continue to preserve them, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and National Handloom Awards 2025 to 22 outstanding weavers, designers, cooperatives and entrepreneurs at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre (RBCC) on the occasion of National Handloom Day.
The awards recognise exceptional craftsmanship, innovation and contributions towards preserving India's rich handloom heritage. This year's recipients represent the country's remarkable diversity of weaving traditions, ranging from Kanchipuram silk and Banarasi Jamdani to Tangaliya weaving of Gujarat and Lepcha textiles of Sikkim.
The prestigious Sant Kabir Handloom Awards, considered the highest civilian honour in the handloom sector, were presented to three artisans. Ram Meher of Odisha was honoured for weaving the Bichitpar Khadi Saree, Runima Chetiya Choudhury of Assam received the award for her Muga Silk Saree, while Shah Muhammad Ansari of Uttar Pradesh was recognised for his work with the rare Zarbaft Shewatambari Awadh Jamdhani Saree.
Nineteen recipients were honoured under different categories of the National Handloom Awards, highlighting excellence in weaving, design development, marketing and entrepreneurship. Among the weaving awardees were artisans producing Kanchipuram Silk Sarees from Tamil Nadu, Ikat Sarees from Telangana, Cotton Tussar Half-and-Half Jamdani Sarees from Andhra Pradesh, Maheshwari Sarees from Madhya Pradesh, Kani Shawls from Jammu and Kashmir, 500-count Khadi Muslin Jamdani Sarees from West Bengal and Jagatsinghpur Sarees from Odisha. Special categories also recognised women weavers, young weavers, tribal weaves, divyang weavers and artisans reviving endangered weaving traditions.
The awards also acknowledged excellence beyond weaving. Gopinathan MV of Tamil Nadu and Mantu Basak of West Bengal were honoured for design development, while N. Venkateswara Rao of Andhra Pradesh and CH-31 Kovilvazhi Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society of Tamil Nadu were recognised for marketing handloom products. Assam-based Marvella Associates received the award in the Start-up Ventures/Producer Company category.
The list of awardees spans 13 states and Union Territories, including Odisha, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Manipur, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Sikkim. The recognition showcases the extraordinary range of India's regional textile traditions, from luxurious silks and intricate Jamdani weaving to tribal fabrics and sustainable natural-dyed textiles.
National Handloom Day, observed every year on August 7, commemorates the Swadeshi Movement of 1905 and serves as a reminder of the vital role played by India's handloom sector in preserving cultural heritage, generating rural employment and supporting millions of weaving families. By honouring artisans who continue to preserve traditional techniques, the awards highlight the country's commitment to protecting one of its oldest and most vibrant craft traditions.