Looms of Ladakh, a cooperative founded in 2017, transforms the lives of women across 16 villages. Empowering them through a farm-to-fashion model, it ensures artisans are involved in every step of production, from raw wool to luxury products.
Nawang Ladol’s life took a turn she never expected in 1999. She lost her husband during the Kargil War and had to raise her daughter with her husband’s pension. But she was looking for more purpose and stability.
Amid the solitude of the region’s sweeping mountains, Nawang found her way back to herself through a cooperative called Looms of Ladakh. Joining as a trainee weaver through an MoU between Looms of Ladakh and the Leh Sub Area of the Indian Army, she is part of an initiative that provides Veer Naris (war widows) not only with financial independence but a renewed sense of purpose. Speaking with quiet optimism, Nawang says, “I’ve really enjoyed being here and want to grow with time. I look forward to moving ahead.”
Nawang’s story is just one thread in a larger tapestry of resilience, woven together by the women of Looms of Ladakh. Since its inception in 2017, this cooperative has become a lifeline for women across 16 villages, uniting 427 artisans under a single mission: to create sustainable luxury products while preserving the cultural heritage of their homeland.
The idea for Looms of Ladakh began to take shape in 2013 when Abhilasha Bahuguna first noticed a gap. She saw that the artisans crafting the world-renowned pashmina of Kashmir weren’t receiving fair compensation for their labour, whilst the cashmere industry flourished globally.
The thought gnawed at her – how could those whose hands brought these luxury products to life see so little of the reward? Abhilasha felt a need to change this dynamic, to help these artisans not just as workers but as owners of their craft.
In 2015 Leh deputy commissioner G Prasanna met a group of women in Chumur, a remote village where selling handmade woollen products had become a struggle. The isolation of the region made commerce nearly impossible.
Inspired by their spirit, Prasanna and Bahuguna came together, determined to create a sustainable path forward. Thus, Looms of Ladakh was born, offering a new narrative for the women of this remote region – one of hope, dignity and financial independence.
Looms of Ladakh operates on a unique “farm-to-fashion” model, ensuring that every step – from the procurement of raw wool to the sale of finished products – remains in the hands of the artisans.
The process begins in Changthang, where the pastoralist Changpa community has for centuries tended to their herds of pashmina goats. These goats produce some of the finest pashmina wool in the world, their fibres as delicate as 12-15 microns.
A two-metre pashmina shawl weighs only 150 to 170 grams and can be passed through a wedding ring. They sell for thousands of dollars, grace the shoulders of celebrities and are coveted by women the world over, but the future of the famous pashmina is tangled due to neglect and cheap copies.
By controlling the entire production line, the cooperative ensures fair compensation and the preservation of traditional crafts that risk fading away.
But success didn’t come without its trials.
Abhilasha recalls the initial struggles in bringing traditional products to the bazaar, “We faced challenges when trying to put traditional Ladakhi rugs in the market. Customers found them heavy and expensive. There was a mismatch between production and demand because these rugs take 40 days to weave, and people are used to lighter, more affordable options from regions like Kashmir and Punjab.”
It was a challenge to modernise without losing the soul of Ladakhi craftsmanship. The traditional rugs, carpets, and woollen garments are largely utilitarian, their designs simple yet steeped in history.
“They have some beautiful graphics with history behind them. For instance, the Cholo design, or the dice motif, which was used in villages to select the next head,” Bahuguna says. The artistry was there, but the market was limited.
To meet the evolving demands of the marketplace, Looms of Ladakh launched upskilling programmes.
“While the rest of Ladakh is weaving with 2/30 or 1/30 yarn count, Looms of Ladakh upskilled its weavers to work with finer 1/56 and 2/56,” Bahuguna says. “This achievement has allowed us to create lighter, finer products.”
These efforts paid off – pashmina consumption skyrocketed from 7kg in 2021 to 52kg in 2022. The cooperative’s turnover also rose, with sales increasing from Rs 34 lakh in 2022-2023 to Rs 42 lakh in just the first ten months of 2023-24.
We’re trying to transform sheep wool textiles, once simple and utilitarian, into sophisticated products for modern, global users, alongside our work with pashmina.
“This effort not only provides livelihoods but also helps develop Ladakh’s textile cottage industry. By creating limited-edition sheep wool rugs and traditional products, we honor and revive Ladakh’s rich heritage,” says Abhilasha Bahuguna.
The financial success has transformed the lives of the artisans. Women like Tsering Youdoul now see pashmina through a new lens. “Earlier, we didn’t realise the value of pashmina. At home, it used to be lying around, but now we know it’s as valuable to us as gold,” she says.
Monthly earnings for weavers, dyers, and tailors can reach up to Rs 18,000, a sum that empowers these women to support their families and themselves.
But the cooperative offers more than just an income. It offers a community. Women who had spent most of their lives confined to their homes now come together, sharing stories, skills, and aspirations. “Looms of Ladakh has members from the China border in eastern Ladakh to Kargil near the Pakistan border,” says Shakeela Bano, a cashier at the cooperative. “Women should step out of their homes, join us, and hone their natural skills.”
The cooperative’s structure is democratic, with all office bearers elected every three years. Supported by professionals like co-founder Bahuguna and local graduates, the women artisans blend traditional knowledge with modern expertise, ensuring that Looms of Ladakh continues to flourish while staying true to its roots.
Sustainability remains a guiding principle. “Ecology is at the heart of everything we do,” Bahuguna says. By using local fibres, Looms of Ladakh fosters a circular economy that benefits both the environment and the community.
One-third of the cooperative’s revenue is distributed among its members, while 40 per cent is spent on procuring raw wool. The remaining funds sustain the enterprise, ensuring that the women remain in control of their economic destiny.
For women like Nawang Ladol, Looms of Ladakh is not just about weaving shawls or rugs. In the vast, barren landscape of Ladakh, the loom has become an instrument of empowerment, threading together the dreams of women across the region, one braiding of the weft and warp at a time.
The lead image on top shows Looms of Ladakh’s premium handcrafted pashmina products, reflecting the artisans’ expertise and sold at high-end luxury outlets.
Unnati Sharma is a Village Square Fellow ’24. She works as a journalist, writer and translator.
