For kids in the United States, the tariff imposed by the Donald Trump administration on countries like China may no longer be a child's play, as toy prices are predicted to touch record highs this Christmas season. However, for India's toy export industry, which was ready to take giant strides in the sector by bagging heavy orders from the US retail giants like Walmart, Amazon, and Target Corporation, gaining from the China-Plus-One policy, the US tariffs came as a heavy jolt.
'The favourable rupee-dollar exchange rate, there are opportunities we can tap.'
"Advancement in technology and demand for new variety in toys is propelling toy companies to think differently and innovate to introduce new kinds of toys...The toy makers have drawn the connecting link between movie mania and love for toys to introduce toys based on movies," Funskool India Ltd vice president (sales & marketing) R Jeswant told PTI.
According to industry sources, domestic toy manufacturers are seeing a sharp rise in sales during the current financial year. On January 1, 2021, India had banned the sale of toys that are not certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This meant that all factories churning out toys to be sold in India had to be certified by the bureau along with mandatory product testing, including for units abroad.
The Chinese dependence is far from over, industry players are also citing a shortage of electronic toys in the country.
Peter Broegger, senior vice-president (Asia-Pacific), Mattel East Asia, will visit India this month in an attempt to restore confidence among stakeholders, rattled by a spate of departures by senior executives.
The earliest ones included whistles shaped like birds, toy monkeys that could slide down a string and small carts made from materials found in nature such as sticks, clay and rocks. While there might be no disputing India's rich toy-making tradition, the industry is languishing for lack of investment and technology, and also owing to competition from cheap imports. And though it has been listed among 24 key sectors under the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, the question remains: will this push help place it in the global game? Currently, 80-odd per cent of the toys sold in India are imported - nearly 60 per cent of them from China.
Bali Padda will head the second-largest toymaker in the world.
The movie has attracted 60 brands as merchandise partners and seven media partners
Aditi Mammen Gupta, who hails from the family that started Malayala Manorama, MRF Tyres & Funskool, tells us about her start-up.
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