Union Minister Giriraj SIngh during the inauguration of IIHT-Fulia
Fulia: A new campus of the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) at Fulia in the Nadia district of West Bengal will cater to the educational needs of students from West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Sikkim.
The campus, inaugurated today by Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh, is constructed using state-of-the-art technology in a sprawling 5.38 acres of land with an expenditure of Rs. 75.95 crores. The building has a modern infrastructure that consists of smart classes, a digital library, and modern and well-equipped testing laboratories.
The Minister said the children of handloom weavers will get the opportunity to study in this institute and serve the handloom industry of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Sikkim – “This IIHT building is not just a building but it is a platform from where the handloom weavers’ children can fulfil their dreams”. He also declared the increase of intake for first-year admission into this institute from the existing 33 to 66.
The new campus will be a model learning place and will serve as a Centre of Excellence in the field of handloom and textile technology, Singh said. By making the students highly skilled, the handloom craft will be made sustainable and will give the handloom sector global recognition
Singh highlighted that IIHT Fulia will contribute significantly to the textile value chain by using Flax and linen as raw materials and using design inputs from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kolkata. He also highlighted the legacy of handloom weaving in West Bengal and said that Indian handloom products had more demand than the cloth produced in Manchester before the Industrial Revolution. The fineness of the hand-woven fabrics of Bengal was such that a saree could be passed through a small ring, he pointed out.
“Textile ministry is committed to reaching the market size of 300 billion dollars in the year 2030 and employ 6 crore persons in the textile value chain,” he said.
The Minister also launched a unified website for all 6 Central IIHTs during this inaugural function.
– global bihari bureau
