India pushes forward strong electronic toy ecosystem
NEW DELHI
India is moving quickly toward building a strong, inclusive, and homegrown electronic toy industry, with the government highlighting the crucial role of electronics and IT in this journey. According to Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary at MeitY, the key foundations for this industry are already taking shape, and young engineers are actively contributing to its growth.
India’s toy sector, once heavily dependent on imports, is now manufacturing locally and exporting toys to 153 countries. To support this progress, MeitY, C-DAC, Indian Toy Industries, and the LEGO Group jointly celebrated the convocation of the second batch of engineering graduates trained under a special year-long project. These graduates were part of the programme titled ‘Development of Electronics and IT-based Control and Automation Solutions for Consumer Electronic Goods (Toy Industry)’. The initiative focuses on building prototypes and strengthening the skills of young engineers, especially those from under-represented communities.
During the event, Sinha inaugurated the new Electronic Toys Lab at C-DAC Noida. He said the programme has strong potential to grow and reach more students, creating a larger impact on the toy industry. He also noted that the Centre of Excellence at C-DAC Noida will collaborate with NIELIT, MSH, and other institutes to support innovation and encourage startups in the electronic toy sector.
Under this initiative, engineers from SC, ST, and North-Eastern backgrounds were selected from across India and trained for one year. The first six months were spent at the e-Toys Lab learning and designing toy concepts, followed by six months of industry training to develop prototypes based on real market needs. Each participant received a monthly stipend of Rs 25,000, helping them fully focus on research and practical work.
This effort marks a strong step toward building a modern and self-reliant toy industry in India.
