News Update

PM Modi Unveils Repository Portal Celebrating Indian Textiles and Crafts on National Handloom Day

• ByStartupStory     |    August 7, 2023

During the commemoration of the ninth National Handloom Day at Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Indian Textiles and Crafts Repository Portal. In his address at the event, PM Modi emphasized that India’s rich tapestry of handlooms beautifully reflects the nation’s diversity. He urged a renewed commitment to promoting local products on this occasion.

The Prime Minister highlighted the significance of celebrating National Handloom Day at Bharat Mandapam, which symbolizes the harmonious coexistence of ancient traditions and contemporary progress in today’s India. He noted that this day also marks the commencement of the Swadeshi movement, underscoring the rationale behind designating it as National Handloom Day.

“On National Handloom Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to popularize local products,” he said. 

“Today, we are celebrating National Handloom Day in Bharat Mandapam, which was inaugurated recently. This confluence of ancient and modern India defines today’s India,” he added. 

The Prime Minister noted that the Swadeshi movement started today. “It was a big reason why our government decided to celebrate today as National Handloom Day,” he said. 

PM Modi said that after independence, not much importance was given to strengthening the cloth industry (Khadi), which was so strong during the last century.

 “The situation was that it was left to die… People who wore Khadi were looked upon with an inferiority complex,” he said. “We are witnessing the rise of the ‘neo-middle class’, which provides great opportunities for textile companies,” he added. He further added that the country is saying ‘Corruption Quit India’, ‘Dynasty Quit India’, and ‘Appeasement Quit India’.

PM Modi lamented that the post-independence era did not witness adequate efforts to bolster the cloth industry, particularly Khadi, despite its historical strength. He observed how Khadi wearers were sometimes regarded with an unwarranted sense of inferiority. The Prime Minister pointed out that the emergence of the “neo-middle class” presents a significant avenue for textile companies to thrive.

He further emphasized the nation’s collective call to bid farewell to corruption, dynastic politics, and appeasement politics. The event brought together more than 3000 handloom and khadi weavers, artisans, and stakeholders from the textile and MSME sectors, underscoring the industry’s collective commitment to growth.

The e-portal, named the Repository of Textiles and Crafts, has been developed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), serving as a digital archive of India’s rich textile heritage.

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