JAMMU, Aug 10: NABARD celebrated National Handloom Day 2026 by organising a three-day exhibition-cum-sale from August 5 to 7 at its Head Office in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai, recording handloom sales of over Rs 67 lakh.
The initiative aimed at promoting and preserving India’s rich handloom heritage while providing direct marketing opportunities to artisans, strengthening rural livelihoods through improved market access and facilitating business linkages between producers and buyers. The encouraging response from visitors and financial institutions highlighted growing consumer interest in authentic handloom products.
The exhibition showcased 15 distinctive weaving traditions from 14 States, including nine Geographical Indication (GI) products. The products included Paithani from Maharashtra, Pochampally Ikat from Telangana, Kota Doriya from Rajasthan, Sambalpuri from Odisha, Bhagalpur Silk from Bihar, Kantha Stitch from West Bengal, Kutch Shawls from Gujarat, Venkatagiri from Andhra Pradesh, Arani Silk from Tamil Nadu, Balaramapuram from Kerala, Mubarakpur Handloom from Uttar Pradesh, Ambala Handlooms from Haryana, Bagh from Madhya Pradesh, Bhagaiya Silk from Jharkhand and Uttariya from Karnataka. Participating artisans were presented certificates, while the three best-performing stalls received trophies.
Inaugurating the programme on August 5, Dr Shaji Krishnan V., Chairman, NABARD, described the exhibition as an amalgamation of rural enterprise and culture. He said such initiatives create awareness among urban consumers about India’s traditional weaving practices while strengthening rural-urban linkages and opening avenues for market and export opportunities.
Dr Ajay Kumar Sood, Deputy Managing Director, NABARD, congratulated the participating artisans and organisations and highlighted the importance of recognising the craftsmanship and efforts of rural communities. He reaffirmed NABARD’s commitment to creating sustainable livelihood opportunities and strengthening market access for rural producers.
A Buyer-Seller Meet was organised on August 6, enabling artisans to interact directly with urban buyers and understand market trends, customer preferences and business requirements. The interaction also helped establish potential long-term commercial linkages.
On August 7, an awareness session on ONDC and MyStore was conducted by Ankita Kapur of Hippo Innovations Pvt. Ltd. The session focused on digital onboarding, e-commerce, branding, social media marketing, catalogue preparation, inventory management and online selling.
Padma Shri Dr Rajanikant, GI expert and Founder of Human Welfare Association, also interacted with participating artisans and explained the importance of GI registration and Authorised User registration in enhancing product authenticity, market recognition and economic opportunities.
National Handloom Day is observed annually on August 7 to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement of 1905 and celebrate India’s handloom traditions and weavers. NABARD has supported the sector through various developmental and market-led interventions. So far, 43 handloom products have secured GI registration, while 41 Rural Enterprise Producer Organisations (REPOs) have been formed to strengthen collectivisation. NABARD also facilitates participation of weavers in major exhibitions and has recently launched the “Emporium” initiative to provide rural enterprises and artisan groups with a dedicated platform for displaying and marketing authentic products.