• ¨   President Droupadi Murmu presented the Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and National Handloom Awards 2025 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi, on 7 August 2026.

    ¨     The awards were presented during the celebrations of the 12th National Handloom Day.

    ¨     A total of 22 awards were presented, including 3 Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and 19 National Handloom Awards.

    ¨     The awards recognised craftsmanship, innovation, and preservation in India’s handloom sector.

    ¨     The Sant Kabir Handloom Award is one of the highest honours in India’s handloom sector.

    ¨     In 2025, the Sant Kabir Handloom Award was given to Ram Meher of Odisha for a Bichitpar Khadi Saree.

    ¨     Runima Chetiya Choudhury of Assam received the award for a Muga Silk Saree.

    ¨     Shah Muhammad Ansari of Uttar Pradesh received the award for a Zarbaft Shewatambari Awadh Jamdhani Saree.

    ¨     The National Handloom Awards recognise excellence in handloom weaving across India.

    ¨     The 2025 awards covered regional textiles such as Kanchipuram Silk of Tamil Nadu, Ikat of Telangana, and Kani Shawls of Jammu and Kashmir.

    ¨     The President also released four commemorative postage stamps highlighting India’s rich weaving traditions.

    ¨     She also unveiled the book “Earth. Root. Thread – Aal Dyed Handloom Textiles of Central India.”

    ¨     The book was compiled by the Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms, functioning under the Ministry of Textiles.