Demand for toy park in Bengal after one and half decade

A toy park was set up in West Bengal 15-years ago but it failed to attract players then, but now the demand for domestic toy manufacturing is very high as import of toys from China has slumped due to tariff and non-tariff barriers, the trade body said. Toys manufactured in China accounted for 75 per cent of the total Rs 13,000 crore toy industry of India, it said.

A toy trade body has asked the West Bengal government for subsidised land and other benefits to set up a toy park in the state as demand for domestic toy manufacturing is very high now. A toy park was set up in West Bengal 15-years ago but it failed to attract players then, but now the demand for domestic toy manufacturing is very high as import of toys from China has slumped due to tariff and non-tariff barriers, the trade body said.

Toys manufactured in China accounted for 75 per cent of the total Rs 13,000 crore toy industry of India, it said. West Bengal Exim Association (WBEA) that mainly represents traders and some manufacturers in the state had met West Bengal Labour minister Moloy Ghatak about a month back and submitted their plan for setting up of a toy park on a 20 -acre plot close to the city limits.

"We have submitted our representation with Moloy Ghatak a month back but since then we did not hear anything from the state government," All India Toy and Baby Products Association VP and secretary, WBEA Akshyay Binjrajka said. "We had asked for fiscal and non-fiscal benefits by way of subsided land, benefit in GST and single window clearance," he said.

The trade body said a 20-acre plot can accommodate 40 -50 manufacturing units and generate huge employment. The new Quality Control norms will put traders and imports out of business and thus local manufacturing is important in a cluster mode.

Binjrajka said other states like UP and Karnataka are also promoting toy manufacturing in their respective states. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also encouraged Indian companies to come forward in toy manufacturing which accounts for just 0.5 per cent of the global trade.

The first toy park in West Bengal was inaugurated in 2004. It was built in the sector III of Salt Lake on a six- storied Standard Design Factory (SDF) building having a super built-up area of 7,320 sqm. But due to lack of interest, the government later named it as Silpanchal and allowed light engineering companies to fill the space..