Aiming to revive toy manufacturing in India, the Uttar Pradesh government is mulling to set up a Toy City in the state and a policy is being readied to promote the industry in the medium, small and micro enterprises (MSME) sector.
“The government has taken a step forward by deciding to set up a Toy City in Uttar Pradesh, likely in Greater Noida due to its location and presence of ancillary units in the region,” a senior official told this reporter in Lucknow on Wednesday.
The official said that the project would not only provide jobs to thousands of locals but also hurt China financially.
“A rough estimate suggests that this industry will directly employ over 50,000 people. Once the Toy City becomes operational, an additional four lakh will get employment across India,” he said.
The proposed toy manufacturing policy will be extended across Uttar Pradesh and provide special impetus to setting up and upgrading enterprises in Bundelkhand, Purvanchal and Madhyanchal regions.
“Once the policy is implemented, it will lead to exponential growth in toy making and related ancillary units which, besides boosting the economy, will provide large-scale employment in the state,” the toy policy draft said.
The policy targets to attract investment of Rs 20,000 crore in toy manufacturing/ancillary sector and generate employment for four lakh people by 2025, it further said.
“Toy manufacturing is mainly a MSME activity and there is no dedicated policy or scheme for this in any state. The reason for unorganised growth of this industry lies in its footloose way of operation, rather than a cluster approach,” the official said, justifying why UP should have a toy policy
The official further said that the cluster approach would help develop ancillaries and in moving up the chain, target electronic toys, silicon or product-based toys, country-specific targeted toy designs and development.
“This will bolster toy makers, who are scattered across the state. The policy will bring them under one umbrella,” he said.
“The new toy policy aims to promote the growth of toy making in the state by providing a conducive environment and position UP as the most preferred investment destination. It will build a world class ecosystem of R&D, product design, testing and production for toys and promote skill development for the workforce in the sector, thereby boosting employment in the state,” the official said.
In 1998, Uttar Pradesh made an unsuccessful attempt to give impetus to toy making and allotted 100 acre land for a Toy City project in Greater Noida. The plan faced tough competition from Chinese imports and ultimately it was shelved.
People in the know of things maintained that China captured the Indian market as the successive governments in the country ignored traditional production centres.
UP has a presence of traditional toy making clusters in Jhansi (soft toys) and Chitrakoot (wooden toys). Toys from different regions are distinct but they lost sheen in the absence of support from the government. Also, there are distinct toys made of clay, terracotta or wood which are characteristics of different regions like Azamgarh, Gorakhpur and Jhansi.