President of India Droupadi Murmu graced the 12th National Handloom Day celebrations on 8 August 2026 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi. The President presented the Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and the National Handloom Awards 2025, alongside the release of four commemorative postage stamps celebrating India’s handloom weaving traditions.
What happened (8 August 2026)
The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, attended the 12th National Handloom Day event and conferred the Sant Kabir Handloom Awards and the National Handloom Awards 2025. Four commemorative postage stamps were also released to mark India’s diverse handloom weaving traditions.
Background and earlier position (National Handloom Day since 2015)
The Government of India has been observing 7 August as National Handloom Day since 2015. The President connected National Handloom Day to the Swadeshi Movement, which was formally launched on 7 August 1905 in protest against the Partition of Bengal, and which aimed to promote indigenous goods and domestic industries—especially handloom weavers.
What changed now (focus of the 12th celebrations)
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