Ahmedabad Handloom Fashion Show Brings Powerful Change
The Grand Handloom Fashion Show & Industry Roundtable Meet at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad
The Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad, with support from HSBC, organised a mega handloom event under the HandMade in India (HMI) initiative on 19th February 2026, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, at EDII, Ahmedabad. The event brought together industry leaders, experts, institutional representatives, designers and artisan communities to celebrate India’s rich handloom heritage and discuss pathways for strengthening the sector’s future.
India’s handloom sector is one of the oldest in the world. It dates back thousands of years, with fabrics like muslin and silk once traded across Asia, Europe and Africa. Even today, India has more than 30 lakh handloom workers, and most of them live in villages. The sector is the second-largest source of work in rural India after farming. Events like this help bring attention to their work, which often remains unseen by city buyers.
A key highlight of the programme was the Industry Round Table Meet on ‘Quality Assurance and Brand Building in India’s Handloom Sector.’ The roundtable served as a collaborative platform for dialogue and knowledge exchange among stakeholders from industry, academia, government, and grassroots enterprises. Discussions focused on improving quality standards, strengthening brand positioning, enhancing market competitiveness and creating sustainable value chains to support long-term artisan livelihoods.
Quality has become very important in today’s market. Many handloom products compete with cheaper machine-made fabrics. However, handloom cloth is stronger, more breathable and more eco-friendly. Experts say that better labelling, proper certification and clear branding can help customers trust handloom products more. Government efforts like the Handloom Mark and India Handloom Brand were also created to help buyers identify genuine handloom items and protect weavers from unfair competition.
The event also featured a curated handloom fashion show, ‘Threads of Heritage,’ presented under the HandMade in India initiative. The fashion show celebrated the journey of the handloom from tradition to contemporary expression, featuring sustainable collections created by weavers from Bhuj (Gujarat) and Erode (Tamil Nadu). Through two thematic rounds, ‘Heritage Hues: Handloom Revival’ and ‘Handloom: The Original Sustainable Fashion’, the presentation highlighted traditional techniques, natural dyes, eco-friendly materials, and modern design interpretations, demonstrating how heritage crafts continue to evolve for present-day markets and responsible fashion.
Bhuj is known for its rich textile traditions like Ajrakh printing and hand weaving. These crafts use natural colours made from plants and minerals, which do not harm the environment. Erode, often called the ‘Loom City of India’, is famous for cotton handloom. It supplies large amounts of handwoven fabric across the country. In recent years, many young designers have started using handloom to create modern clothing. This has helped bring handloom back into fashion, especially among young people who care about sustainability.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Ashish Tripathi, CEO & Head, HSBC IBU, said, “HSBC is glad to be associating with EDII on this highly significant project, which is directly aimed at addressing the unorganised and dispersed nature of the handloom sector, so that its inherent strengths could be honed and tapped to attain unparalleled growth. Hearteningly, the artisans have learnt best practices and the ways of turning their businesses into profit-making, growth-oriented enterprises.”
The handloom sector is mostly unorganised, which means many weavers work from their homes or small workshops. They often do not have direct access to big markets. Because of this, they earn less even though their work is valuable. Training programmes like HandMade in India teach artisans how to improve quality, fix fair prices and sell directly to buyers. Many weavers are now using online platforms and exhibitions to reach customers across India and abroad.
Commenting on the initiative, Dr Sunil Shukla, Director General, said, “We are committed to strengthening artisan livelihoods with entrepreneurship development practices. Through the HandMade in India project, we are working with handloom communities across India to strengthen their skills, sustainability practices and market opportunities. Today’s Fashion show will reflect the outcomes of this effort, bringing out how traditional handlooms can adapt to modern lifestyles while continuing to support sustainable livelihoods. It’s time that the remarkable craftsmanship of our artisan clusters from Bhuj and Erode caught the attention of the people at large.”
Sustainable fashion is now becoming a global movement. Handloom plays a big role in this because it uses very little electricity and creates less pollution. Unlike factory cloth, handloom weaving is done by hand, which saves energy. It also supports families and keeps traditional skills alive. Many experts believe that promoting handloom can help both the environment and rural employment.
Expressing his opinion, Dr Raman Gujral, Project Director, HandMade in India & Director, Dept. of CSR partnerships, EDII said, “India’s handloom is not just about textiles — it represents our heritage, our identity, and the livelihoods of millions of artisan families. At the same time, we know that today’s markets are changing rapidly, and expectations around quality, consistency, and branding are higher than ever before. The project Handmade in India addressed these factors and bridged the gap between the markets, products and the artisans.”
Across India, handloom is deeply linked to culture. Every region has its own style, like Banarasi silk, Kanchipuram silk and Pashmina shawls. These are not just clothes but symbols of tradition and pride. However, many artisans had left weaving due to low income. New projects, training and fashion support are now helping bring them back to the craft.
The initiative aimed to promote sustainable livelihoods, preserve traditional knowledge and strengthen market linkages for artisan communities while reinforcing the relevance of handloom in today’s economy.
With rising awareness about eco-friendly fashion and handmade products, India’s handloom sector is once again finding new hope. Events like this not only celebrate heritage but also create real opportunities. They remind people that every handwoven fabric carries the story of an artisan, their skill and their future.
