'Make in India' success story: Toy imports down 70%, exports up 61%

By Team Newsable | First Published Jul 6, 2022, 4:59 PM IST

The toy industry had benefitted from a number of government interventions and results show the success of the Make in India programme. Imports were mainly restricted to some components.

The Narendra Modi government's 'Make in India' initiative has seen toy imports down by 70 per cent and exports up 61 per cent over the last three years, Anil Agrawal, Additional Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, has said.

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Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the 13th Edition of Toy Biz B2B (Business to Business) International Exhibition that concluded on Monday, Agrawal said the toy industry had benefitted from several government interventions, and results show the success of Make in India programme. He further that the imports were mainly restricted to some components.

To recall, Prime Minister Modi had given the call to 'rebrand the Indian Toy Story' during his 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast in August 2020. He emphasized the availability of the right kind of toys for children, using toys as a learning resource, and designing toys based on the Indian value system, Indian history, and culture to strengthen the domestic design.

According to government data, the import of video game consoles, table or parlour games, automatic bowling alley equipment, tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys showed a decrease of 70.35 per cent in imports from $371 million in 2018-19 to $110 million in 2021-22. Additionally, the exports have jumped by 61.38% over the same period.

Some of the government interventions that Agrawal was referring to include:

* Mandatory sample testing of each consignment.

* Basic Custom Duty on tricycles, scooters, pedal cars and similar wheeled toys was increased from 20 per cent to 60 per cent in February 2020.

* Toys brought under compulsory Bureau of Indian Standards certification with effect from January 1, 2021.

* Toys must have the mandatory conformation to the requirements of relevant Indian Standard and bear the standard mark under a licence from BIS as per Scheme-I of BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.

* Grant license to micro-scale units manufacturing toys without a testing facility for one year and non-insistence on establishing an in-house facility.

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