Ministry of Textiles to organise IIHT SUTRA 2026 Inaugural National Conclave of Indian Institutes of Handloom Technology

10 August 2026, Delhi: The Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, will organise IIHT SUTRA 2026 – the Inaugural National Conclave of the Indian Institutes of Handloom Technology on 12 August 2026 at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre (DAIC), New Delhi. The conclave is being organised as a national platform for dialogue, collaboration and knowledge sharing among the Indian Institutes of Handloom Technology (IIHTs) and their stakeholders.

The Union Minister of Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh, will be the Chief Guest and Shri Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for External Affairs & Textiles, will be the Guest of Honour. The programme will also be attended by Smt. Neelam Shami Rao, Secretary (Textiles), and Dr. M. Beena, Development Commissioner (Handlooms), along with representatives from industry, academia, research institutions, IIHT faculty, students, alumni and other stakeholders.

The theme of the conclave is “IIHTs: Weaving the Future of the Indian Handloom Sector – Educate • Innovate • Transform”. The conclave seeks to provide a common national platform for the IIHTs, promote collaboration among academia, industry, research institutions and Government, showcase innovations and academic achievements, facilitate interaction among students, alumni and sector stakeholders, encourage knowledge exchange on emerging technologies, skill development and entrepreneurship, and strengthen institutional partnerships for the continued development of handloom education.

A major highlight of the conclave will be the exchange of three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Grasim Industries Limited, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Sambalpur and Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA). The proposed partnerships are aimed at strengthening industry–academia collaboration, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, faculty development, internships and institutional capacity building across the IIHT ecosystem.

The programme will feature the inauguration of the IIHT Exhibition and Theme Pavilion, showcasing student innovations, institutional achievements and live demonstrations. Gold Medals and Rank Certificates will be presented to meritorious IIHT students. It will also include the launch of the film “Weaving India's Handloom Future” and the release of the IIHT alumni publication “Handloom Change Makers”, highlighting the achievements and success stories of distinguished IIHT alumni.

The conclave will provide an opportunity for interaction with distinguished IIHT alumni and students. An audio-visual presentation on the success stories of distinguished alumni will also be featured as part of the programme.

The technical session will feature a panel discussion on “Strengthening Handloom Education through Industry–Academia Collaboration: Curriculum, Skills and Future Readiness”. The session will bring together representatives from industry, academia and other relevant institutions to deliberate on strengthening handloom education and aligning curriculum, skills and institutional capabilities with future requirements of the sector.

The Indian Institutes of Handloom Technology have played a significant role in developing skilled technical manpower for the Indian handloom sector through technical education, skill development, research, design, quality improvement and technology dissemination. IIHT SUTRA 2026 seeks to build on this institutional legacy by bringing the IIHT network and its wider stakeholder ecosystem onto a common national platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange and strengthening handloom education.