📌About the Event

Handloom Hackathon 2026: Weaving Innovation is a national-level innovation challenge launched by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. The hackathon aims to bring together students, designers, technologists, entrepreneurs, weavers, researchers and startups to create practical, scalable and sustainable solutions for India’s handloom sector. The event focuses on combining technology, design, entrepreneurship and sustainability to improve market access, productivity, livelihoods and global competitiveness for handloom artisans.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Type: National innovation hackathon
• Theme: Where tradition meets technology to craft the future
• Mode of conduct:
  • Initial registration and idea submission: Online
• Grand Finale: Offline at Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer, IIT Delhi
• Grand Finale venue: FITT, IIT Delhi
• Organised as part of: National Handloom Day 2026 celebrations
• Main focus areas:
  • Product and design innovation
  • Sustainability and circularity
  • Digital technologies
  • Market access and branding
  • Supply chain efficiency
  • Productivity enhancement
  • Business development
  • Weaver livelihoods and social impact
• 2026 themes:
  • Innovation in Design & Operations
  • Market Access & Digital Integration
  • Sustainability & Environmental Impact
  • Weaver Livelihoods & Financial Inclusion

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📅 Important Dates

• Registrations open: 1 July 2026
• Registration deadline: 20 July 2026
• Selection phase: 21 July to 25 July 2026
• Finalist preparation: 26 July to 31 July 2026
• Grand Finale: 1 August 2026

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Student fields mentioned by PIB:
  • Textiles
  • Fashion
  • Design
  • Engineering
  • Management
  • Technology
• Team size:
  • Teams of 2 to 5 members are allowed, according to the official event page.
  • The registration page also shows an “Individual” participation option, so participants should verify the final format while registering.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• Winner per theme: ₹60,000
• Runner-up per theme: ₹40,000
• Total prize pool: ₹4,00,000 across 4 themes
• Special recognitions:
  • Best User Research
  • Best Prototype
  • Weaver-Entrepreneur Excellence
  • Most Scalable Idea
• Certificates:
  • All finalists receive a Certificate of Participation.