Ladakh aims to become global hub for finest pashmina

Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday reiterated his vision to establish Ladakh as a global hub for the finest pashmina and stressed the need to ensure greater recognition and economic benefits for the nomadic herders and pastoral communities of Changthang engaged in pashmina production.

Saxena said strengthening local processing, improving quality standards and promoting value addition within Ladakh could significantly improve the livelihoods of pashmina growers while preserving the region’s traditional heritage.

During his visit, the lieutenant governor inspected the pashmina dehairing plant in Leh’s industrial area and reviewed its operations and the various stages involved in processing raw pashmina fibre sourced from Changthang.

“It is our vision to establish Ladakh as a global hub for the finest pashmina. The need to ensure greater recognition and economic benefits for the nomadic herders and pastoral communities of Changthang engaged in pashmina production,” he said.

Officials informed Saxena that only around 24 per cent of the pashmina fibre produced in Ladakh is utilised locally. They also said trial interventions for spinning pashmina fibre at centres in Bengaluru and Delhi had yielded encouraging results.

Officials further said Ladakh’s raw pashmina fibre has already received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag and efforts are underway to secure GI tagging for hand-spun pashmina as well.

During the inspection, officials briefed the lieutenant governor on the functioning of the plant and the processes involved in converting raw pashmina into high-quality dehaired fibre.

They informed him that raw pashmina fibre sheared from Changthang goats contains dust, mud, grease and other impurities accumulated during grazing in high-altitude pastures.

According to officials, the fibre passes through several stages of cleaning, washing, rinsing, drying and conditioning before the dehairing process separates the fine pashmina fibre from coarse fibre.

Saxena directed officials to explore the potential for using coarse fibre to manufacture products such as rugs and carpets, stating that these products have significant market demand and could generate additional livelihood opportunities for local communities.

He also instructed the relevant departments to focus on spinning and yarn production of pashmina fibre and provide training for entrepreneurs to strengthen local capacity.

The lieutenant governor said the dehairing facility forms an important part of the Union Territory administration’s wider efforts to develop a sustainable and globally competitive pashmina ecosystem in Ladakh by modernising infrastructure, improving local employment opportunities and promoting indigenous products in national and international markets.

He further directed the concerned departments to ensure optimal utilisation of modern infrastructure to improve production efficiency and maintain global quality standards.