India has close to 74 million sheep, the third largest population in the world. While it produces 40,000 tonnes of wool every year, it imports double that amount. At the heart of this paradox are two facets: one, that 32,000 tonnes of wool (or 80%) is discarded and two, since at least three decades, the government has been pushing fatty sheep for meat of which India is among the largest exporter today.
These might be mere statistics for most, but for sheep herders and pastoralists, it depicts the stark reality of the changing political economy of India since the 1990s.
“85% of the wool used in the carpet industry today is imported… most from New Zealand and Australia,” says Sushma Iyengar, lead curator from Centre for Pastoralism (CfP) which works across India to gain mainstream recognition of pastoralist lifestyles and to enhance their livelihood security, and secure their access to grazing resources.
“From the 1990s onwards, meat export began. Today we’re among the largest exporters of meat. Sheep breeds which are fatty are pushed more by the government. Traditional breeds were faster, nimbler and produced better-quality wool,” she adds.
Desi Oon, a CfP-run wool programme — collaboration between over 20 organisations — looks to fill this gap. It aims to enhance the use of Indian indigenous wool in textiles, primarily apparel and home furnishings, insulation in the built environment, and packaging solutions. Desi Oon works in close collaboration with shepherds, knitters, spinners and weavers.
“India discards 32 million kg of indigenous wool every year. This wool is unsuitable for apparel, but an excellent thermal and acoustic insulant. It can be used for various other purposes,” says Iyengar.
Across the vast arid plains of western India, sheep along with herders move up and down the shrubs and meadows of the Himalayas, through the forests and grasslands of the Deccan. Pastoralists who are mobile and resilient have various sources of income: wool, meat, manure, and to a lesser extent milk.
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Pastoralists from diverse cultures in India have, over the years, cultivated symbiotic relationships with farmers. While the former provide manure, the latter give them cash and a place to stay.
Over the last three decades, two shifts have taken place in the economy of sheep herding. One, pastoralists have been compelled to rely heavily on meat and fatty sheep for their incomes due to export pressures and two, decade-long relationships between farmers and herders are being ruptured. As cheaper acrylic proliferates the Indian market, it gets extremely difficult for herders to diversify their income.
This is the predicament that Desi Oon hopes to tackle by putting the spotlight on domestic wool and bringing the government and the consumer’s focus on it.
The 5th edition of the exhibition was held at Triveni Kala Sangam in Mandi House from December 11 to 15.
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“Wool can be used for various other purposes. It is a fire retardant and an excellent insulator of heat and sound,” says CfP director Vasant Saberwal.
“The exhibition showcased these uses — from being biodegradable packaging material to being used as foot mats in cars. Our final goal is to absorb wool in high-value supply chains. We believe that responsible customers will pay a premium. Industries have told us that they have ecologically sensitive clients,” he adds.
At the moment, the Indian packaging industry uses several harmful packaging materials such as thermocol and bubble wrap. Thermocol is a carcinogen which is non-biodegradable. Wool, says Saberwal, can be a great replacement.
“The world over, wool insulation is replacing high-energy, environmentally harmful rock wool and fibreglass in buildings,” he adds.
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Another positive externality of sheep grazing is the regeneration of grasslands which helps in sequestering carbon. “India is losing its grasslands rapidly… herders are losing access to them and industrialists are taking over. These are great at absorbing CO2,” says Iyengar.
CfP has come up with other unique ways to spread awareness about native wool. A stop motion film, also called “Desi Oon”, commissioned by the centre and directed by Suresh Eriyat, recently won the Jury Award for Best Commissioned Film at Annecy International Animation Festival 2025.
This year, it was the only Indian selection, chosen from nearly 4,000 entries from 100 countries. It tells the story of Balu Mama, a shepherd devoted to protecting the genetic integrity of his sheep, not succumbing to pressures of cross breeding.
