Making Atmanribhar Toy Industry



Author: Siddhartha Dua

I was picking up my children’s toys strewn around the veranda of my home after they had finished playing. As I was moving my son’s tricycle to its rightful place, I reminisced about my own tricycle which was much sturdier than the one my son rides on, it was a shiny bright red colored beast which I rode fearlessly around the house compared to the rickety blue one my son rides on. I could very well empathize with what our honorable Prime minster said in “Man ki Baat”, that there is an urgent need to revive the toy industry in India.

It is not as if we are late starters, toy manufacturing existed in India since Indus valley civilization and there is enough evidence to suggest that toys of impeccable quality were made India however we have been a laggard in the global toy industry which is estimated to be US $ 90 B. India is a fringe player dominated by Chinese manufacturers.

They have glutted the world market with cheap quality Chinese toys and the Indian market is no different. Indian market is a price-sensitive market and most of people don’t care about the quality of toys which they are buying, this is precisely the reason why cheap Chinese imports have found a foothold in Indian Market.

However, things have changed for good after the clarion call given by our honorable Prime Minister to make India Atmanirbhar. Some measures have also been announced by the Government to give the domestic industry a big push. We can become a global player in the toy industry and can throw Chinese out if we adopt some of these measures.

Increasing import duties:

Our domestic industry needs some support and the Government has rightfully increased the import duty on imported toys, this will give much-needed fillip to our domestic manufacturers who were reeling under the impact of cheap Chinese imports.

Educating customers/Buyers:

It is important that Indian manufacturers market their products as quality alternatives to cheap Chinese imports, which use inferior quality plastic which can have deleterious effect on children as children are enamored of chewing their toys. If Indian manufacturers can talk about the ill effects of such toys it will wean away the gullible buyers of Chinese toys.

Roping in Influencers:

One of the ingenious ways to market toys is to involve storytellers. Storytelling is becoming a big business opportunity in India, it is a much-decorated industry in the western world. Brands like Funskool, Legos, Hot Wheels, and other such brands can collaborate with these storytellers who can weave some beautiful stories around these brands. Events involving such professional storytellers can be organized wherein virtues of Indian toys and handicrafts can be told to children in form of stories. This will not only promote Indian culture but will also introduce our children to locally made toys and in turn promote atmanirbhar Bharat.

Developing clusters

There are some places in India like Channapatna located in between Bengaluru and Mysore, Channapatna is a quaint little town which is much famed for producing adorable little wooden toys. These places are already known and have skilled manpower as well, what they need is support from the Government to thrive and flourish. Handicrafts from these places are much popular in western countries wherein such work is valued. Westerners realize that these items are much more valuable than the stuff churned out by Chinese factories. Similar toy clusters can be developed wherein budding entrepreneurs get the right opportunity and place to showcase their talent.

Niche High-end Toy Market:

Mass Market has already been taken over by Chinese manufacturers and it is extremely difficult to penetrate into this market so the next best option for Indian manufacturers is to get into high-end markets wherein customers look for quality at right price points. We have already done this with some amount of success in case of handicrafts. Quality conscious customers at right pricing points will gobble up the toys.

Online Platforms:

The best part about online platforms is that sellers don’t have to depend upon physical market place to sell their products. Sellers from the remotest part of the country can use these platforms and sell their products. With ever-increasing internet penetration, it provides an excellent platform for small-time manufacturers to sell their products.

With 26% of the population under the age of 15 years, it is boom time for the Indian toy industry. It was worth US$ 1.5 Billion in 2018, registering a CAGR of 15.9% during the year 2011- 2018. According to market research firm IMARC, the market is further estimated to cross US$ 3.3 Billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 13.3% during 2019-2024.

With the implementation of all the above measures, India shall be in a position to leveraging its strength and take strong steps towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. Gaining a foothold in the global toy industry is no child’s play but surely worth trying.