No Ban on Import of Toys

Government Provids All Round Support to Domestic Toy Industry by Promoting Made in India

Government is not considering ban on import of toys. Government has taken several steps for promoting indigenous toys makers in the country. The details are as follows-

(i)    Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) vide Notification No.33/2015-2020, dated  02.12.2019 has mandated sample testing of each consignment and no permission for sale unless the quality testing is successful to control the import of cheap and sub-standard toys. In case of failure, the consignment is either sent back or destroyed at the cost of the importer.

(ii)    Basic Custom Duty (BCD) on Toys-HS Code-9503 has been increased from 20%  to 60% in February, 2020.

(iii)   The Government has  issued Toys (Quality Control) Order, 2020 on 25/02/2020  through which toys have been brought under compulsory  BureauofIndian  Standards (BIS) certification with effect from 01/01/2021. As per the Quality Control Order (QCO), every toy shall conform to the requirements of relevant Indian Standard and bear the Standard Mark under a license from BIS as per  cheme-I of BIS (Conformity Assessment)  Regulations, 2018. This QCO is   applicable to both domestic manufacturers as well as foreign manufacturers who intend to export their toys to India.

(iv)   Ministry of Education organized Toycathon 21, a unique effort by 6 Ministries &  Departments to crowd- source solutions to problems faced by toy industry. Over 1.2   lakh registrants for the event and submitted over 17,000 ideas and 13900 teams formed  to win a large number of prizes up to ₹ 50 lakh.

(v)    A Virtual Toy Fair was organized from 27th February to 04th March 2021.   About 1074  exhibitors from 30 states and UTs covering 68 clusters were on boarded onto   the virtual platform. 11 States participated as ‘Partner States’. More than 25 lakhs visitors participated in the fair. 103 eminent speakers across the globe attended 41   sessions/webinars.

Government is providing all round support to domestic toy industry by promoting Made in India toys; monitoring quality of toys; restricting imports of sub-standard and unsafe toys; promoting indigenous toy clusters; designing of toys based on Indian values, culture, and history; using toys as a learning resource and organizing hackathons and grand challenges for toy designing and manufacturing.

Under Scheme of Funds for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) of Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, 14 clusters in different sectors like khadi, coir, handicraft, handloom, honey, agro and food processing, bamboo etc. have been set up with an outlay of ₹ 4160.46 lakh benefitting 8839 artisans.

Government is supporting new models of innovation and financing through a number of schemes. Details of some specific schemes are as follows-

 Details of Schemes of Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises

(i)    A Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industries and Entrepreneurship   (ASPIRE) for creating new jobs, promoting entrepreneurships, boost grassroots  economic development, facilitating innovative business solutions and promoting innovation to further   strengthen the competitiveness of the MSME sector.

(ii)   Micro and Small Enterprises- Cluster Development Programme (MSE- CDP) for  supporting the sustainability and growth of MSEs and building capacity of MSEs, creating/upgrading infrastructural facilities in the new/existing industrial areas   /clusters of MSEs and setting up of common facility centers.

(iii)  Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) for facilitating infrastructure creation for artisans and enterprises and thus creating a conducive   ecosystem for entrepreneurship.

(iv)  Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) scheme for generating employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas of the country  through setting up of new self-employment ventures/projects micro enterprises.

(v)   Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Upgradation Scheme (CLCS- TUS) for promoting adoption of latest technologies in manufacturing as well as knowledge based innovation. 

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Shri Som Parkash, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Import controls on toys: mandatory testing, higher duty and compulsory standards certification to protect safety and promote domestic makers. No ban on toy imports exists; instead, the government enforces import controls through mandatory sample testing with return or destruction on failure, increased Basic Customs Duty, and a Quality Control Order imposing compulsory standards certification and licensing for toys, applicable to domestic and foreign manufacturers, while supporting domestic industry via innovation challenges, virtual fairs, and MSME and cluster finance and infrastructure schemes.