NEW DELHI: Indian manufacturers are adapting to global standards and designs, and this strategy has yielded bountiful results, said I.F. Agarwal, secretary of the Toys Association of India. He cited the growth of India's toy export revenues, which have now crossed 1.2 billion, as compared to 100 million in 1991. "We are now trying to capture a bigger share of the global market, particularly in Europe, Middle East and America with better designs and packaging being promoted under a U.N. Development Programme (UNDP) sponsored programme. "In two to three years we will be well placed to compete and snatch a larger share of the market, beating even Chinese competition," Agarwal told IANS. For now, Indian manufacturers are grabbing smaller orders for toys -- soft toys, board games, metal, plastic and electronic games -- from major toy dealers like Hasbros and Mettal, which normally place huge bulk orders with Chinese makers. "As we do not have capacity to manufacture large bulk orders, we are grabbing smaller orders with competitive pricing and better quality," said Agarwal. Twelve major Indian toy manufacturers and exporting companies are gearing to make a good showing at the Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair at Numberg in Germany from January 30 to February 4. The firms, which are participating under the umbrella of the Sports Goods Export Promotion Council (SGEPC), will exhibit both traditional toys and electronic games. With support from the Indo-German Export Promotion Project (IGEP) based in the capital, SGEPC is hoping to make a bigger dent in the European market where traditional Indian toys, games and construction toys continue to find good demand. The Indian toy industry, concentrated mainly in regions in and around New Delhi and Maharashtra, comprises around 2,000 units mostly in the unorganised sector. With the help of the commerce ministry, the two Indian toy industry bodies are now attempting to bring the manufacturers and exporters together to step up quality and cost-effective production to beat overseas competition. Under this plan, a start has been made to set up a special toy zone on the outskirts of the capital in the Noida industrial zone. "In recent years, the Indian toy industry has gained recognition in the overseas market on account of its price competitiveness, quality and new designs," said Tarun Dewan, secretary of SGEPC. "In fact, in the domestic market also many of our manufacturers are able to beat Chinese competition in quality and price." Indian manufacturers have already made their presence felt in the U.S., Britain, Germany, South East Asia, Middle East and South Africa. "The toy fair in Germany will give Indian companies a chance to develop stronger contacts with major players in the global toy market. With its underlying strength in low cost labour, and efforts on to procure requisite technological inputs, the Indian toy industry has a promising future," said IGEP. The European Union is a big base of toy manufacturers, who number around 3,000 there, and a consumer base of about 69 million children, according to IGEP. Indian manufacturers are also planning to hold a show at Dubai in mid-April, depending on the response at the six-day show Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair, which is among the largest toy shows in the world.
Source: IANS