The Grand
Handloom Fashion Show & Industry Roundtable Meet at the Entrepreneurship
Development Institute of India, Ahmedabad
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.
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 focussed on improving quality standards, strengthening
brand positioning, enhancing market competitiveness and creating sustainable
value chains to support long-term artisan livelihoods.
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 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.
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 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.”
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.”
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.”
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.