Shillong, Aug 7: From looms to runways, NIFT Shillong is turning up the volume on India’s handloom story.
The institute has kicked off National Handloom Pakhwada 2026 — a 19-day celebration running August 3 to 21 — to put Northeast India’s weaving legacy at center stage and hand the baton to the next generation of designers and changemakers.
The fortnight opened on August 3 with master weavers at work, their hands moving to rhythms passed down generations. Students from NIFT Shillong and St. Mary’s College, Home Science, crowded the demos, picking up everything from indigenous fibres to the stories woven into every Eri thread.
Dr. Brijesh Deore, Director, NIFT Shillong, called handloom one of India’s “greatest national assets.”
“We must bridge classrooms and craft clusters. When students sit with weavers, tradition fuels innovation. That’s how we take local to global,” he said.
The spotlight also fell on entrepreneurship. Ms. Lebaini Rymbai, Founder of Eri Weave and Shark Tank India breakout, told students that Ryndia and Eri silk are not just heritage — they’re business. She urged them to build brands that keep artisans at the heart and turn tradition into sustainable livelihoods.
Master weaver Mrs. Regina Sujai, with 20+ years at the Eri loom, joined the dialogue, reminding everyone that behind every fabric is a skilled hand keeping Meghalaya’s identity alive.
The energy isn’t stopping here. Till August 21, NIFT Shillong will host photography and reel contests, styling battles, natural dye labs, heritage walks, exhibitions, cultural performances, and quizzes — all designed to make handloom cool, relevant, and future-ready.
With weavers, academia and young designers in one room, NIFT Shillong says the message is clear: India’s handloom isn’t a relic. It’s a movement. And the Northeast is weaving its future, one thread at a time.
