President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and National Handloom Awards 2025 on 22 outstanding weavers, designers, cooperatives and entrepreneurs at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre (RBCC), marking the occasion of National Handloom Day.

The awards recognise exceptional craftsmanship, innovation and significant contributions towards preserving India's rich handloom heritage. This year's awardees represent the country's diverse weaving traditions, spanning renowned crafts such as Kanchipuram silk, Banarasi Jamdani, Tangaliya weaving of Gujarat and Lepcha textiles of Sikkim.

The prestigious Sant Kabir Handloom Awards, regarded as the highest honour in the handloom sector, were presented to three artisans. Ram Meher of Odisha was recognised for his Bichitpar Khadi Saree, while Runima Chetiya Choudhury of Assam received the award for her Muga Silk Saree. Shah Muhammad Ansari of Uttar Pradesh was honoured for his work in the rare Zarbaft Shewatambari Awadh Jamdhani Saree.

Nineteen recipients were honoured across various categories under the National Handloom Awards, recognising excellence in weaving, design development, marketing and entrepreneurship.

Among the weaving awardees were artisans specialising in 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.

The awards also featured special categories recognising women weavers, young weavers, tribal weaves, divyang weavers and artisans working to revive endangered weaving traditions, highlighting the important role of diverse communities in sustaining India's textile heritage.

Recognition extended beyond traditional weaving. Gopinathan MV of Tamil Nadu and Mantu Basak of West Bengal were honoured for their contribution to design development. N. Venkateswara Rao of Andhra Pradesh and CH-31 Kovilvazhi Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society of Tamil Nadu were recognised for their efforts in marketing handloom products. Assam-based Marvella Associates received the award in the Start-up Ventures/Producer Company category.

The awardees represent 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.

Together, the recognitions reflect the extraordinary diversity of India's regional textile traditions, from luxurious silks and intricate Jamdani weaving to tribal textiles and sustainable natural-dyed fabrics. They also underline the contribution of individual artisans, cooperatives, designers and emerging enterprises in taking India's handloom heritage forward.

Observed annually on August 7, National Handloom Day commemorates the Swadeshi Movement of 1905 and highlights the vital role of India's handloom sector in preserving cultural heritage, generating rural employment and supporting millions of weaving families.

By recognising artisans who continue to preserve traditional techniques while embracing innovation and new opportunities, the awards reinforce India's commitment to protecting and promoting one of the country's oldest and most vibrant craft traditions.