Background of Institute
In olden days Indian handloom Industry was not having trained technical personnel and was solely dependent on the expertise and knowledge passed on from generation to generation for its survival and development. It was in this context that the Government of India decided to set up Indian Institutes of Handloom Technology with the prime objective of providing technical personnel trained in new methods and latest development in the field of Handloom to enable the Handloom industry to face the challenges from other sector of the Textile Industry. The first Indian Institute of Handloom Technology was established in 1956 at Varanasi by taking over the Central Weaving Institute, Varanasi. The second Institute was established in 1960 at Salem in Tamil Nadu by taking over the Government Textile Institute at Madras and shifting the same to Salem, one of the important Handloom Weaving Centers in southern India. At present there are six Indian Institutes of handloom Technology in the Central Sector and four Institutes in State Sector. The Central Sector Institutes are located at
- Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
- Salem in Tamil Nadu
- Guwahati in Assam (Estd. In 1982)
- Jodhpur in Rajasthan (Estd. In 1993)
- Bargarh in Orissa (estd. In 2008).
- Shantipur in West Bengal (estd. In 2015)
The State Sector Institutes are located at
- Venkatagiri in Andhra Pradesh
- Gadag in Karnataka.
- Champa in Chhattisgarh. and
- Kannur in Kerala.
About the Institute
- The Govt. of India, being impressed with the great potential that existed for developing the Central Weaving Instt. both as major research hub as well as a training Instt. for providing trained man-power to the Handloom sector in the field of Handloom Technology, decided to take over this Instt. During the year 1956. Accordingly, on 17th. Sept., 1956, the Central Weaving Instt. was taken over by All India Handloom Board on behalf of the Central Govt. and thus became a part of the Textile Commissioner’s Office and the Instt. Was renamed as Indian Instt. of Handloom Technology. 1976, it has been functioning under the aegis of O/o Development Commissioner for Handlooms, M/o Textiles.
- In 1962, the re-organized long term (3 years) course, viz. Diploma in Handloom Technology was started which has been re-named as Diploma in Handloom & Textile Technology since academic session 2009-10. The institute has switched over to SEMESTER System effective from the Academic Session, i.e., 2011-12. Apart from DHTT, three semesters (1/½ years) Post Diploma course in Textile Chemistry has been introduced in 1983, which is renamed as Post Diploma in Textile Processing w.e.f. 2009-2010
- A new UG programme B.Tech Handloom & Textile Technology has been started in this institution from the academic year 2021-22 onwards. The programme is approved by AICTE, New Delhi and affiliated to Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow. This B.Tech Handloom & Textile Technology is a unique programme which is offered only by this Institution in North India.
