PM Modi bats for making India a toy manufacturing hub

Mr Modi made the statement while virtually inaugurating the four-day India Toy Fair 2021 here.

Addressing more than 1,000 exhibitors, the Prime Minister called for bringing out the hidden potential of the toy industry in India and to create an identity for it as a big part of the campaign for AtmaNirbhar Bharat.

''This first toy fair is not just a business or economic event. This program is a link to strengthen the country's age-old culture of sports and cheer,'' he said, adding that the event is a platform where one can discuss all the aspects of the industry and exchange ideas.

Research on toys has been going since the era of Indus Valley civilization, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, he said.

Mr Modi appealed to the country's toy manufacturers to make toys that are better for both ecology and psychology! He asked them to make toys using things that can be recycled and less plastic.

Realising the importance of toys in the overall development  of children, he said the Government has taken effective steps and brought changes through the New National Education Policy.

''We can take the world back towards eco-friendly toys, through our software engineers computer games can bring the stories of India to the world'', he said. But despite all this, today India's share in the $ 100 billion global toy market is very small. 85 per cent of the toys in the country are sourced from abroad, '' he stated. He stressed the need to change this situation.

Efforts are being made to strengthen the possibilities of toy tourism, the PM said. Toyathon-2021 was also organised to promote Indian sports based toys and more than 7000 ideas were brainstormed.

 Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani also participated in the event.