On National Handloom Day, observed on Friday, 7 August, Gujarat-based handloom artisan Chaman Siju recounted a personal interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a textile exhibition in Gandhinagar, where the Prime Minister urged him to craft organic cotton products that could be presented as diplomatic gifts to foreign heads of state. The account offers a rare glimpse into how India's handloom sector has been woven into the country's soft-power diplomacy.

The Gandhinagar Encounter

Siju described the moment at a weaver's exhibition in Gandhinagar, where he had the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister directly. 'I got an opportunity to welcome PM Modi. I was extremely impressed with his views. He told me to create organic cotton products that he can gift to world leaders. He said this will lead to two things — people around the world will get to know about India's craft and culture, and also marketing of the products will take place through this,' Siju recalled.

Following that meeting, Siju said he was subsequently invited to New Delhi, where he presented stoles woven from organic black cotton to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

The Shinzo Abe Connection

One of those stoles reportedly made its way to the highest levels of global diplomacy. According to Siju, Prime Minister Modi gifted one of the black cotton stoles to the late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 'The Prime Minister later said that there was a long discussion about the organic cotton stoles with the then Japanese PM. Moreover, Shinzo Abe had worn that stole during his visit to India later,' Siju said.

The artisan added that the practice has since become a pattern: 'Now, wherever PM Modi undertakes a visit, he gifts our fabric made of organic cotton.' The anecdote underscores how traditional Indian craftsmanship has been positioned as a vehicle for cultural diplomacy at the bilateral level.

Modi's National Handloom Day Push

Prime Minister Modi on Friday extended greetings on the occasion of National Handloom Day, paying tribute to India's handloom heritage and the generations of weavers who have preserved the country's traditional craft. A day earlier, he had issued an appeal to citizens — particularly the youth — to celebrate the occasion with the same enthusiasm as Friendship Day.

'Just as you celebrated Friendship Day with great warmth, celebrate Handloom Day too. Celebrating Handloom Day means supporting the livelihoods of weaver families who create fabrics by hand,' Modi said in his appeal.

Social Media Amplification

The story gained fresh traction after a popular handle on X (formerly Twitter), Modi Story, shared a video featuring Siju's account, noting that a recent Instagram reel by the Prime Minister — a 'Get Ready With Me' format released on Thursday — 'wasn't the first time he found a unique way to celebrate India's weavers.' The post stated: 'From trending reels to global diplomacy, PM Modi has consistently found new ways to take India's handloom to the world!'

As India marks another National Handloom Day, Siju's account illustrates how a single interaction between a head of state and a small-town artisan can translate into international visibility for a craft that sustains millions of livelihoods across the country.