Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised India’s toy industry on Sunday for achieving success “no one could have imagined”, noting that its exports soared to Rs 2,600 crore from Rs 300-400 crore.
When it comes to Indian toys, the echo of “vocal for local” is heard everywhere, he said on his monthly program “Mann ki Baat”.
He said toys worth more than Rs 3,000 crore were being imported but declined by 70%.
“It is a matter of joy that during this period, India exported toys worth over Rs 2,600 crore to foreign countries. Whereas earlier, only toys worth Rs 300-400 crore was coming out of India. This all happened during the Corona period,” Modi said.
He noted that he had spoken earlier about India having the potential to become a powerhouse in toy exports.
India’s local toys are eco-friendly, in line with both tradition and nature, he said.
“Thanks to our young people, start-ups and entrepreneurs, what our toy industry has achieved, the successes we have achieved, no one could have imagined,” he added.
The Prime Minister said India’s toy industry has proven itself in transformation, with manufacturers now making toys based on Indian mythology, history and culture.
Toy clusters are all over the country, and small entrepreneurs are reaping a lot of benefits as their toys are now going around the world, he said.
Indian toymakers work closely with top global brands, he said.
Noting that the start-up sector pays full attention to the world of toys, he said that a start-up named Shumme Toys in Bangalore focuses on eco-friendly toys while the company Arkidzoo in Gujarat manufactures flash cards and storybooks based on augmented reality. .
Pune-based Funvention works to spark children’s interest in science, technology and math through learning, toys and activity puzzles, he said, adding that start-ups are doing a great job.
“Let’s all together make Indian toys more popular around the world. Along with this, I would also like to urge parents to buy more and more Indian toys, puzzles and games,” he said.
In his speech, the Prime Minister also highlighted the growing global interest in traditional forms of Indian medicine as the fight against COVID-19 continues.
He said people’s growing interest in holistic health care has helped everyone a lot.
“There is a growing interest in Ayurveda and Indian medicine all over the world. This is one of the main reasons why Ayush exports have seen record growth and it is also a matter of joy that many new start-ups are also emerging in this sector,” he said.
Recently, a global Ayush investment and innovation summit was held and investment proposals of about Rs 10,000 were received, he said.
He added that a huge effort is also being made in the field of various medicinal plants and herbs.
India’s Virtual Herbarium was launched in July, and it is an example of how the digital world can be used to connect with our roots, he said.
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