Legal Empowerment and Financial Independence: Rethinking the Kosa Silk Value Chain through IPR

Chhattisgarh’s Kosa silk sector skillfully combines traditional local expertise with contemporary economic prospects. Kosa silk, produced by tribal communities in regions such as Bastar and Janjgir-Champa using silk from the wild silkworm (Antheraea mylitta), is more than just a textile; it’s vital for sustaining rural economies. Using a Law and Economics perspective, this paper investigates how legal safeguards and market forces influence the financial situations of these indigenous artisans and silk producers. Despite the high market value of Kosa silk, a concerning economic disparity exists, with the main producers frequently experiencing poverty while intermediaries retain a significant portion of the profits. The study investigates the effectiveness of the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag and the Biological Diversity Act in protecting the intellectual property of these tribes from being exploited by imitation products made using synthetic or power-loom methods. Economically, the paper explores the Kosa value chain from silkworm cultivation to finished textiles and identifies market challenges, including restricted access to financing, significant expenses for transactions, and the absence of online platforms connecting producers directly with customers. Indigenous communities hold a wealth of traditional knowledge, and that’s a real asset. But fighting poverty takes more than just valuing tradition. People also need legal power and serious economic shifts. If the government stopped just exporting raw materials and started investing in local manufacturing, especially in tribal regions, Kosa silk could actually drive real development. The paper ends with a few practical ideas: use blockchain to make sure profits are shared fairly, and boost intellectual property rights to protect local skills. Moves like these give Chhattisgarh’s Golden Thread a real shot at bringing lasting financial independence to the people who keep this craft alive.