INCREDIBLE “HANDMADE IN INDIA” TOYS ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION

Abstract

The Indian toy industry is as old as our nation itself. It has been fostering and getting enriched under
the intellectually rich background. Indian toys, are manufactured all over the country and reflect the
Indian cultural diversity in the range of products manufactured. Local toys are manufactured from
various raw materials like, plastic, wood, rubber, metal, textiles etc. This business is preponderantly
confined to the Small Scale Industries, meeting the local needs.It islabour oriented and utilizes the
skills of master craftsmanship and creative designing. The toy market in India is extensively
unorganized and is proportionately very small with reference to the population and per capita income.
The small scale nature of hand made toy business has resulted into stumpy product innovation and
low investments in new modern equipments and technology, which has over all resulted into small
market size. It has been observed that sustainability of toy business depends on constant innovation.
Another reason for the small size market is the large number of small players and low advertising and
marketing efforts. In Indian homes there is a existing tradition of indigenous toys, yet regardless of
it’s great worth and value, this area of handicrafts for children is among the most neglected quarter
of our cultural heritage. The centuries old legacy has found itself on shaky ground when the markets
were flooded with ‘Made in China’ products which low cost playthings steadily replacing indigenous
toys. Livelihoods of these artisans are threatened.The government and NGOs are desperately making
an attempt to control the damage and uplift the art to the global market. This paper attempts to
study the role of local toys in a child’s development and the means to save the extinction of this
savoured art.