₹8 crore revolving fund to ensure faster payments; LG VK Saxena calls for scientific breeding and sustainable growth of Changthang’s Pashmina economy
Leh, August 9: The Ladakh administration has announced a major push to strengthen the region’s traditional Pashmina economy, with Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena disbursing ₹1.10 crore in production-based incentives to more than 1,200 nomadic Pashmina herders at the Changthang Nomadic Festival 2026 in Korzok.
The 25 per cent production-linked incentive, introduced for the first time, is aimed at increasing herder incomes and making Pashmina production more sustainable. The administration said raw Pashmina collection has already risen to 19 metric tonnes by July 2026, compared with 16 MT during the whole of 2025.
Herders from Samad, Kharnak and Korzok received the largest shares, with approximately ₹44 lakh, ₹28 lakh and ₹23 lakh respectively transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer.
Saxena said beneficiaries would be encouraged to reinvest 60 per cent of the incentive in scientific breeding, 20 per cent in modern combing equipment and basic infrastructure, while the remaining 20 per cent could be used for household needs.
The administration has also provided an ₹8 crore revolving fund to the All Changthang Pashmina Growers Marketing Cooperative Society. The fund will enable growers to receive 50 per cent of the Pashmina payment immediately, with the remaining amount within two months, replacing earlier delays of up to 8–10 months.
The LG called for increasing fibre production from 200 grams to 350 grams per goat and doubling the Pashmina goat population to four lakh within three years.
The Changthang festival, attended by over 10,000 people, also showcased Changpa culture, crafts, cuisine, music and traditional pastoral life to domestic and international visitors.
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