The Ministry of Textile, Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Ministry of MSME, Ministry of I&B, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) today jointly launched Toycathon 2021.
The event, jointly inaugurated by Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani and Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, aims to conceptualise innovative toys based on Indian value system, which will inculcate the positive behaviour and good value amongst the children.
This is a special kind of hackathon where students and teachers from schools and colleges, design experts, toy experts and start-ups will get together to crowd source ideas for developing toys and games that are based on Indian culture and ethos, local folklore and heroes and Indian value systems.
The Toycathon based on 9 themes will have 3 variants of tracks of Junior Level, Senior Level and Start-up Level.
It is pertinent to mention here that a National Action Plan was prepared to promote Indian toy industry including handicrafts and handmade toy products. The National Toy Fair is also proposed from 27 Feb to 3 March 2021.
Addressing media on this occasion, Smriti Irani stated that India imports 80 per cent of toys and the Government is working towards promoting the indigenous toy industry for making the country self-reliant in this sector.
Collaboration with Ministry of Education paves the way for the participation of students, faculties from all schools, colleges and universities of the country with regard to needs of the MSME industry in our country.
“This is the first time when school children will innovate, design and conceptualise toys also for especially abled ‘divyang children’. The students and faculty members participating in Toycathon can get prizes up to 50 lakhs.
She further stated that Commerce Ministry and MSME Ministry have taken various steps to protect the toy manufacturing industry and make it competitive.
Ramesh Pokhriyal said that Toycathon is being organised to develop India as the global Toy manufacturing hub.
The toy market in India is about US $ 1 billion but 80 per cent of the toys are imported.
The launch of Toycathon is an endeavour by the Government to create an ecosystem for the domestic toy industry and the local manufacturers, tapping the untapped resources and utilising their potential.
