Chief Secy reviews progress of Pashmina Sector, Calls for Cooperative-Based Growth and Skill Upgradation

Excelsior Correspondent

LEH, June 17 : Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, chaired a review meeting with Pashmina artisans, weavers, entrepreneurs, cooperative members, and representatives of artisan organizations from various parts of Ladakh, including Leh, Kargil, Zanskar, and other Pashmina-producing regions.

The meeting commenced with an introduction of participating artisans and stakeholders, who shared details of their work, production capacities, challenges, and the current status of their enterprises. Representatives from individual artisan groups, entrepreneur-led ventures, cooperative societies, membership-based organizations, and self-help groups presented their experiences and concerns regarding the development of the Pashmina sector.

During the interaction, the artisans highlighted several issues affecting production and productivity, including the time-consuming warping process, the need for technological upgrades, access to advanced machinery, loom modernization, and enhanced training opportunities.

They also emphasized the importance of creating greater awareness among Changpa communities, who are the primary producers of raw Pashmina, and stressed the need for continuous capacity-building initiatives across the value chain.

Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra engaged extensively with the participants, seeking details about their training backgrounds, annual production volumes, market linkages, sales patterns, pricing mechanisms, and stock management. He also reviewed the functioning of existing training centres and assessed the effectiveness of current skill-development programmes.

Emphasizing the need for a structured and sustainable approach to strengthening the sector, the Chief Secretary stressed systematic skill upgradation within the weaving community.

He reviewed the status of weaving instructors in the Handloom Department and underscored the importance of enhancing technical expertise among artisans to improve productivity and product quality.

The Chief Secretary highlighted that activities such as weaving, finishing, pressing, design development, skill enhancement, and quality control could be effectively undertaken through shared infrastructure.

He emphasized that cooperative-led clusters would not only improve operational efficiency but also strengthen market access and enhance the bargaining power of artisans.

Kundra stressed that collective action through cooperatives and cluster development would play a crucial role in preserving Ladakh's traditional weaving heritage while making the sector more competitive and economically sustainable.

He urged all stakeholders to work together towards building a strong ecosystem that supports artisans, promotes quality production, and strengthens the global identity of Ladakhi Pashmina.

The meeting was attended by Moses Kunzang, Consultant functioning as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for Special Projects; the Additional Secretary, Cooperative Department; the Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Leh; representatives of various Pashmina brands, self-help groups, artisan organizations; and officials from the Handloom Department.