LEH, AUGUST 10: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena attended the Changthang Nomadic Festival 2026 at Tso Moriri, witnessing a major push towards strengthening the livelihood of the region’s nomadic Pashmina-producing community.
The spectacular festival, held amid the breathtaking landscapes of Changthang, witnessed the participation of more than 10,000 visitors, highlighting the rich nomadic culture, traditions and unique pastoral heritage of Ladakh.
A key highlight of the event was the disbursement of Rs 1.10 crore as production-based incentive directly to more than 1,200 nomadic Pashmina herders from the Changpa community.
The incentive is part of the 25 per cent production-based incentive scheme, approved as a measure to encourage Pashmina production and provide greater economic returns to herders engaged in preserving Ladakh’s globally renowned Pashmina heritage.
According to the administration, the incentive scheme has already yielded encouraging results, with the collection of raw Pashmina increasing to 19 metric tonnes this year, surpassing the total collection of 16 MT recorded in 2025.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the economic foundation of the nomadic community while ensuring that the benefits of increased Pashmina production reach the grassroots level.
In another significant measure to support the Pashmina sector, the administration has provided a Rs 8 crore revolving fund to the All Changthang Pashmina Growers Marketing Cooperative Society. The fund is intended to facilitate timely payments to Pashmina herders and ensure that growers receive their dues without unnecessary delays.
Addressing the gathering, LG Saxena urged Pashmina growers to adopt scientific and improved methods of goat rearing and production to substantially enhance raw Pashmina yield.
He set an ambitious target of increasing the average raw Pashmina yield from the present 200 grams per goat to 350 grams per goat, while also calling for an increase in the Pashmina goat population from around 2 lakh to 4 lakh within the next three years.
The proposed interventions are aimed at increasing both productivity and the overall volume of raw Pashmina production, thereby improving the income and economic resilience of Changpa nomadic households.
The Changthang region is home to the traditional Changpa pastoral community, whose nomadic way of life is closely linked with the rearing of Pashmina-producing goats. The rare fibre produced in the high-altitude region is internationally recognised for its exceptional softness, fineness and quality.
Calling Ladakh’s Pashmina a “Timeless Heritage,” the Lieutenant Governor reiterated the administration’s commitment to protecting the traditional livelihood of nomadic and pastoral communities while creating avenues for greater economic prosperity.
He said the administration’s initiatives were guided by the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to empower nomadic and pastoral communities and ensure that those preserving India’s extraordinary Pashmina legacy receive maximum economic returns.
The Changthang Nomadic Festival also served as a platform to showcase the region’s distinctive cultural traditions, pastoral lifestyle, handicrafts and Pashmina heritage to visitors from across the country and beyond.
With the administration focusing on higher productivity, timely payments, market support and scientific interventions, the measures are expected to provide further momentum to Ladakh’s Pashmina sector and strengthen the economic prospects of the Changpa community.
