The famed Ladakhi Pashmina is set to get a dedicated institutional framework designed to promote the luxurious fibre on the global stage — the Ladakh Pashmina Development Board (LPDB).Approved by Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena this week, the Board will work to transform and safeguard the domestic value chain, traditional economy, and local livelihoods associated with Pashmina.Ladakh is home to an estimated two lakh Changthangi Pashmina goats, which produce some of the finest and most luxurious natural fibres in the world. However, much remains to be done to protect the species and the craft, while also ensuring that due benefits accrue to their custodians — the nomadic Changpa herders.The newly approved apex body is expected to bring about these necessary interventions.A central component of the Board's roadmap will be the rollout of the "Ladakh Pashmina Mission", which will focus on improving the genetic quality and health of Changthangi goats and implementing climate adaptation strategies to protect fragile high-altitude rangelands.To secure consumer trust internationally, the Board will also deploy modern certification systems and digital traceability mechanisms, ensuring that every premium Ladakhi Pashmina product sold globally can be verified back to its authentic origin.Pashmina is an enduring symbol of Ladakh's heritage and nomadic traditions.He emphasized that the Board represents a historic step towards ensuring that the nomadic Changpa herders — who rear these animals under some of the world's harshest high-altitude climatic conditions — receive fair financial returns. The ultimate objective is to position Ladakh as a premium global hub for authentic luxury fibre through an integrated, competitive, and climate-resilient ecosystem.The newly constituted Board is tasked with an overarching mandate to systematically increase the livestock population, boost the incomes of the region's pastoral communities, and generate new employment opportunities across the handicraft and textile sectors.By establishing localised processing infrastructure and artisan clusters, the administration aims to maximise value addition within the Union Territory, significantly reducing local herders' traditional dependence on exploitative intermediaries.Administratively, the LPDB will operate through a two-tier structure to ensure smooth execution. The Governing Body, chaired by the Lieutenant Governor, will spearhead the strategic vision, approving major infrastructure projects, long-term policies, and global branding initiatives. Complementing this, an Executive Committee, led by the Chief Secretary of UT Ladakh, will oversee on-ground implementation.