Sunday, Feb 15, 2004
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By Our Staff Correspondent
KOLKATA, FEB. 14. West Bengal is exploring the possibilities of getting Chinese support to help develop the State as a toy manufacturing capital of the country. Inaugurating the country's first `Industrial Toy Park' and announcing firm plans for the expansion of the same, here today, the Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, said in continuation of his earlier efforts, a high level delegation led by toy manufacturers would soon be sent to China to explore the possibilities of mutual collaboration. China (along with Taiwan) controls 75 per cent of the $73 billion global toy market. India contributes `a mere Rs. 450 crores' in the global trade including Rs. 140 crore exports. "I have been trying to establish a relationship with China on this particular aspect through all possible channels for almost a year. It will be further strengthened," Mr. Bhattacharjee said. But why is the focus on toys? First, irrespective of the country's annual average expenditure of only Rs. 25 on toys per child, the industry is witnessing major demand growth in urban areas especially for the soft toys, constituting about 45 per cent of the total, in the last few years. The market is also broadbased with the import of good toys including those of electromechanical variety at a lower price than they were available earlier. In effect, the Indian toy market is likely to grow at a much higher pace than the world average of 6 per cent. But for only two large scale manufacturers, the rest of the industry is controlled by small scale and cottage industries. "Industrialisation is all for jobs. The cottage industry generates jobs," he says. The next plan therefore is to offer designing and training support to the State cottage toy sector by setting up training centres in districts. Work on the second phase of the Industrial Toy Park will begin shortly. The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, the promoter of the Toy Park, had already sold half of the space to be offered in the second phase. And, if a games park for the children is added, as it is planned, the Toy Park may prove to be a popular destination in Kolkata.
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