Textile Pavilion inaugurated at 43rd IITF, Pragati Maidan by Hon’ble Textiles Minister on 16th Nov

New Delhi [India], November 21: Sh. Giriraj Singh Ji, Hon’ble Union Minister of Textiles, Govt. of India, inaugurated the “Textile Pavillion” u43rd IITF, Pragati Maidander the Special Handloom & Handicraft Exhibition cum Sale at 43^rd edition of India International Trade Fair (IITF) at Hall No 05, ground floor, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on 16th November 2024 at 11.30 AM, in the august presence of Sh. Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for Textiles, Govt. of India and Smt. Rachna Shah, Secretary Textiles, Government of India.

Ministry of Textiles, Government of India is organizing “Special Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition cum Sale” at Textile Pavillion, Haal No - 05, ground floor of Bharat Mandapam (ITPO, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi) during the India Internation Trade Fair (IITF) from 14th to 27th November 2024.

“Special Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition cum Sale” is an initiative of the office of Development Commissioner for Handlooms and Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India through National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC) Ltd. to provide direct access to the handloom weavers and artisans to market their products to consumers. The exhibition enables an interface between the weavers and consumers.

Sh. Giriraj Singh Ji, Hon’ble Minister of Textiles, Govt. of India interacted with Handloom weavers and artisans and emphasized that the Government is trying to improve the textile value chain for better income opportunities for the weavers and their families. He also said that India has the largest handloom community in the world focused around sustainability and energy efficiency. The world is moving towards usage of sustainable products and handloom industry produces zero-carbon footprint and does not consume any energy and Handloom industry is also a zero-water footprint sector.

Sh. Pabitra Margherita, Minister of State for Textiles, while visiting the exhibition and live display of handloom and handicrafts, has stressed upon strengthening handloom and handicrafts to boost production and to increase their earnings to engage communities. He also emphasized the importance of preserving India’s rich craft heritage while adapting to modern market needs.

The exhibition will be open to the public from 10 am to 07.30 PM. Handloom and Handicrafts products drawn from different regions of India are on display and sale at the exhibition. These includes Bhagalpuri Silk, Mithila Paintings, Tribal jewellery, ,Embroidered & Crocheted Goods, Lac Bangles, Jute craft, Madhubani, Hand block prints,  Venkatgiri Sarees, Kani shawl, Banarasi Sarees and Stoles,  Kosa, Chanderi, Bastar iron and tribal hand embroidery items, wood carving, Kutch Bandhani, Sozni crafts, Mangalgiri, Mekhla Chador, Moirang Phee, Ikat, Bomkai sarees, Bagh prints, Pottery and Clay objects, Leather (Bags & Accessories), Kauna ,Tribal Hand Embroidery, Applique, Art Metal Ware, Patta Chitra, Kotpad, Arani, Phulkari, Pochmapalli Silk, Jamdani, Gadwal, Cane & Bamboo,  Dhaniakhali, Tangail Suits, Kantha work, oxidized jewellery etc

Several attractions will be available at the Special Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition at Bharat Mandapam, These include: -

• 206 number of stalls (Total 27 states representing Handloom & Handicrafts
• 100 Handloom (22 states representing)
• 100 Handicrafts (27 states representing)
• 06 for Theme Pavillion (Theme - TRIBAL TREASURES OF INDIAN TEXTILES)
• 08 Live Handloom, Art/ Crafts Demonstration [ Kani Shawl (J&K), Tangaliya/ Kutchi Shawl (Gujarat), Kullu/ Kinnauri Shawl(H.P.), Loin Loom (Manipur and Nagaland), Horn & Bone Craft (U.P.), Bhagalpuri Silk (Bihar), Bagh Print (Odisha)]
• B2B interaction sessions of Retailers/ Brands etc with Handloom weavers.
• Workshops on GI Tagged Handloom and Handicrafts by Dr Rajni, Talk show on Sustainability / Circularity/ Recycling/ Upcycling by Pratyush Kumar.

Hon’ble Prime Minister during Mann ki Baat (112th episode) appreciated that the work of handloom artisans is spread across every corner of the country and the way handloom products have made their place in the hearts of people is very successful, tremendous, and also urged to upload photos with local products on social media with the hashtag ‘#MyProductMyPride’.

The Handloom and Handicraft sector is a symbol of our country’s rich and varied cultural heritage. The handloom sector of India employs 35 lakh persons directly or indirectly which is next only to the agricultural sector in the country. The art of handloom weaving and handicrafts has traditional values attached to it and each region has exquisite varieties. The uniqueness of products such as Banarasi, Jamdani, Baluchari, Madhubani, Kosa, Ikkat, Patola, Tussar Silk, Maheshwari, Moirang Phee, Baluchari, Phulkari, Laheriya, Khandua, Tangaliya, Madhubani Painting, Warley Painting, Art Metal Ware, Kathputli, Hand Block Printing, Chikankari, Tie & Dye, Wall Hanging, Terracotta, Imitation Jewellery etc name a few attracts customers across the globe with exclusives weaves, designs, and traditional motifs.

Government of India has launched the various schemes for Handloom and Handicrafts for branding of high-quality products with zero defects and zero effect on the environment to encourage and to give a distinct identity to the products, apart from highlighting the uniqueness of the products.  It also serves a guarantee for the buyer that the product being purchased is genuinely handcrafted. All the exhibitors at the exhibition have been encouraged to display their exquisite products and thus aim to improve the market for their products and earnings of the handloom and handicrafts community.

For further information please contacts NHDC; E-mail: silkfab@nhdc.org.in