KVIC to begin Pashmina production soon in Varanasi

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Last Updated02/12/2021

The globally acclaimed Pashmina wool products, which are indigenous to the high altitude regions of Leh-Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, will now be made in Varanasi also.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has roped in 4 Khadi Institutions from Varanasi & Ghazipur districts in Uttar Pradesh for processing Raw Pashmina wool and weaving it further into woollen fabric.
This is the first ever attempt to introduce the heritage craft of Pashmina weaving outside J&K and familiarize the artisans in the rest of India with this unique art.

Pashmina is a fine cashmere wool.
The name comes from ""Pashmineh"" which means ""made of wool"" in Persian.
India produces the best pashmina wool (cashmere) in the world, the most important and highest quality comes from the Changtang Plateau in the Ladakh region.
Pashmina wool is made by breeds of Changthan (Pashmina) goats in Ladakh and Cheg goats in the eastern Himalayas.
Goats are bred in Ladakh by the Champa tribe in the Changtang region.
Pashmina scarves are known all over the world and are exported to various countries.
They are hand-spun, woven in cashmere, embroidered and made from fine cashmere fibers.
According to the government, Leh Ladakh produces about 50 tonnes of raw pashmina annually, of which 15 tonnes of depilatory wool are actually used to make washed and processed pashmina wool products.
Of these 15 tonnes, only a small unit weighing only 500 kg is used for production at Leh Ladakh.
Pashmina weaving in Varanasi will begin in January next year, with 20 Kadi craftsmen taking a 30-day weaving training course. Approximately 200 kg of pashmina wool processed in Delhi will be delivered to Leh craftsmen by the first week of December.
These Leh craftsmen will spin the wool that will be transported to Varanasi for weaving by the end of December.
The processed pashmina wool will be returned to the Leh Ladakh artisans.
This move opens up new employment opportunities for local artisans and makes available genuine and affordable pashmina wool products in Varanasi.

Government of India has announced a special package for pashmina development with a budget of 50 crore rupees.
The project envisioned developing pashmina by vertically integrating the entire supply chain from the production of raw pashmina to the sale of pashmina products.
The specific purpose of the project is to increase the income and employment opportunities of human resources related to pashmina crafts by improving productivity, diversification, product quality and marketing opportunities, and establish pashmina as a world-famous brand.

It is a statutory body formed in April 1957 under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'.
It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India,
It seeks to - ""plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.