Modi toys with eco-friendly idea

PM wants India to become global toy manufacturing hub

Prime minister Narendra Modi yesterday said that the ancient toy culture of the country reflects the practice of reuse and recycling, which is part of the Indian lifestyle, and added that India has the potential to take the world back to eco-friendly toys.

Speaking at the India Toy Fair 2021 in Delhi, the prime minister said the government has prepared a National Toy Action Plan. It includes 15 ministries and departments to make the industry competitive, Aatmanirbhar, and to provide it with a global platform.

First Toy fair

“This first Toy Fair is not just a business or economic event. This programme is a link to strengthen the country’s ageold culture of sports and gaiety. India toy culture is as old as the Indus Valley Civilisation. The world has studied the toys of the Mohenjo-Daro and Harappan era,” he said.

The prime minister said that India has given the world some of the most popular games like chess and ludo.

“Chess, which is so popular in the world today, was earlier played in India as ‘Chaturanga or Chaduranga’. Modern ludo was played as ‘Pachisi’.

PM Modi said that even today Indian toys are simpler and cheaper than western toys and appealed to the manufacturers to make toys that are better for both ecology and psychology.

“Try to use less plastic in toys. Use such things that can be recycled,” he stated.

The prime minister also said Indian toys contain elements of science, entertainment and psychology. Giving an example he said, “Take lattu (top) as an example. When children learn to play with lattu, they learn about gravity and balance. In the same way, a child playing with a slingshot inadvertently starts learning basics about kinetic energy and potential energy. Puzzle toys develop strategic thinking and problem-solving thinking.”

The prime minister said that India has given the world some of the most popular games like chess and ludo.