Strengthening India’s Toy Ecosystem

The 17th Toy Biz International B2B Expo was held at Bharat Mandapam, highlighting the rapid growth of India’s toy industry as a major contributor to manufacturing, exports, innovation, and the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

• India has a 5,000-year-old toy-making tradition, dating back to the Indus Valley Civilization, where clay carts, animal figurines, and dolls have been discovered. This rich heritage reflects India’s long-standing traditions of creativity, craftsmanship, and learning.

Growth of the Toy Industry

The Indian toy industry is witnessing strong growth due to:

• Rising disposable incomes and favourable demographics.
• Increasing demand for educational and STEM-based toys.
• Expansion of e-commerce platforms, improving market access.
• Strong government policy support and manufacturing incentives.
• Continued popularity of traditional Indian toys in domestic and global markets.

Export Performance

• India’s toy exports (HSN 9503, 9504 & 9505) increased from US$152.7 million in 2017–18 to US$384.7 million in 2025–26, registering a growth of over 151.9%.
• Major Export Destinations included the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, Netherlands, Germany.

Government Initiatives

• National Action Plan for Toys (NAPT), 2020: The National Action Plan for Toys (NAPT) was launched to promote toy design based on Indian culture, values, history, and heritage; develop India as a global toy manufacturing hub, encourage innovation, quality improvement, and exports.
• The Quality Control Order (QCO) made Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification mandatory for both domestic and imported toys. It ensures compliance with Indian safety standards, improved product quality, consumer safety, protection against substandard imports.
• Toycathon (2021): Launched in 2021, Toycathon promotes the design and development of innovative toys rooted in Indian culture while supporting the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat through collaboration among students, startups, and industry.
• e-Toys Lab: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) established the e-Toys Lab at C-DAC, Noida to strengthen India’s indigenous electronic toy ecosystem by supporting research, design, prototyping, and innovation.
• GI-Tagged Traditional Toys: Several traditional Indian toys have received Geographical Indication (GI) status, including:
  • Channapatna Toys and Dolls (Karnataka)
  • Leather Toys of Indore (Madhya Pradesh)
  • Thanjavur Doll (Tamil Nadu)
• District Export Promotion: More than 10 districts have been identified for toy and doll export promotion under the Districts as Export Hubs initiative.

Source: PIB

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