Union Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal addressed the 17th Toy Biz International B2B Exhibition 2026 organized by the Toy Association of India, highlighting significant government support initiatives and remarkable growth in the Indian toy industry. The Minister announced plans to establish modern testing facilities across toy manufacturing clusters through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), National Test House, and other government laboratories, urging industry stakeholders to identify required testing equipment to ensure highest quality standards for domestic and international markets.
Goyal emphasized the sector's exceptional performance, noting that toy exports have increased by 239% over the last four years while imports declined by 32%. The domestic toy market is now approximately ₹18,000 crore, with imports accounting for only ₹2,500-3,000 crore and the remaining demand being met by Indian manufacturers. This represents a significant transformation from when only around 12% of the Indian toy market was served by domestically manufactured products.
The Minister urged MSMEs to continuously scale up operations, noting that export turnover is not included while determining MSME status, allowing enterprises to expand substantially while continuing to benefit from the MSME framework. There are approximately 21,000 MSME units associated with toy manufacturing across more than 50 toy clusters established nationwide, with many undertaking contract manufacturing for Indian and international brands.
Goyal called for technological advancement through adoption of Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technologies and CNC machining to improve product quality, precision and efficiency. He emphasized the importance of quality stitching, superior thread quality, machine-stitched products, and attention to manufacturing details for global market success.
Significant market access opportunities were highlighted through India's nine Free Trade Agreements concluded under Prime Minister Modi's leadership. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement will become operational from July 15, 2026, providing zero-duty access to the UK market. The European Union market offers duty-free access across 27 countries including Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal. Duty-free access is already available for exports to Australia, with similar access to New Zealand expected by year-end. Additional FTAs involving GCC countries, Mexico, Brazil and Canada are expected to progress by year-end.
The Minister encouraged manufacturers to send business delegations to all 38 countries covered under India's FTAs, engage directly with local industries, brands, supermarkets and e-commerce platforms, and establish warehousing facilities abroad with government support during initial years. He also urged focus on sustainable products and manufacturing practices, and developing domestic capabilities in production of motors, electronics, dies and moulds used in toy manufacturing.
On Quality Control Orders (QCOs), Goyal reiterated the government's commitment to maintaining quality standards and assured protection against unfair imports and dumping through the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) and DPIIT. Transitional arrangements under QCOs are intended to facilitate investment, brand building and market development while strengthening India's position as a global manufacturing hub.
The exhibition featured over 400 Made-in-India toy brands, more than 15,000 business visitors, participants from over 50 countries, and stakeholders from across the toy manufacturing ecosystem. The Minister called upon the Toy Association of India, which currently has around 1,200 members, to bring all 21,000 manufacturers under a common platform to strengthen the industry's collective voice.