§1How big it is

§2Ways to get started

  • Wooden and educational toys (Channapatna-style, Montessori) for online sale
  • Board games and puzzles printed and packed locally
  • Sports goods job-work for Jalandhar / Meerut exporters (balls, nets, protective gear)
  • Festive and party articles for domestic and export buyers
  • Gym and fitness accessories assembly

See the Business Encyclopedia

§3Hubs and clusters

  • Jalandhar (Punjab) - top exporting district for sports goods (HSN 9506), identified as a District as Export Hub (DGCI&S Sep 2025)
  • Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) - sports goods exports of USD 66.01 million, District as Export Hub (DGCI&S Sep 2025)
  • Ramanagara (Karnataka) - Channapatna toys; top exporting district for HSN 9503 in FY 2021-22 (DGCI&S Sep 2025)
  • Gautam Buddha Nagar / Noida (Uttar Pradesh) - festive and carnival articles exports; Noida Toy Park (DGCI&S Sep 2025)
  • Belagavi (Karnataka) - 2nd exporting district for HSN 9503 (DGCI&S Sep 2025)
  • Khushkhera, Bhiwadi (Rajasthan) - SGEPC members expanding capacity (DGCI&S Sep 2025)

§4Licences and registration

  1. BIS licence (Standard Mark) under the Toys QCO for every toy sold in India
  2. Legal Metrology packer / importer registration
  3. Artisan card / registration with Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) if claiming handicraft-toy exemption
  4. Udyam Registration (MSME) - free, online, PAN + Aadhaar based
  5. GST registration (mandatory above turnover threshold or for inter-state supply)
  6. Shops & Establishments registration or Factory Licence (Factories Act) depending on set-up
  7. State Pollution Control Board Consent to Establish / Operate per CPCB 2025 Red/Orange/Green/White/Blue category (White exempt)
  8. IEC - Importer Exporter Code from DGFT (only if importing or exporting)

§5Regulators

  • DPIIT (Ministry of Commerce & Industry) - toys policy and National Action Plan for Toys
  • BIS - Toys (Quality Control) Order 2020: BIS licence under IS 9873 / IS 15644 mandatory for toys sold in India (artisans registered with DC Handicrafts and GI products exempt)
  • Department of Sports / Sports Authority of India (sports goods standards and procurement)
  • Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules

§6Government help

  • National Action Plan for Toys (21 action points, 14 ministries) [PIB 2290441]
  • SFURTI toy clusters (Ministry of MSME) and design / tooling support to toy clusters (Ministry of Textiles) [PIB 2290441]
  • ODOP and Districts as Export Hubs [PIB 2282116]
  • RoDTEP for toy exporters (more than 2,200 exporters supported) [PIB 2290441]
  • Basic customs duty on toys raised to 70% (protects domestic makers); GST on toys cut from 12% to 5% [PIB 2290441; PIB 2282116]
  • Cross-sector schemes: Udyam-linked MSME benefits, PMEGP, CGTMSE credit guarantee, Stand-Up India, Startup India (DPIIT recognition), RoDTEP / duty drawback and Export Promotion Mission for exporters

All schemes

§7For exports

  • Sports Goods Export Promotion Council (SGEPC)
  • Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) - handmade / traditional toys
  • DGFT

§8Pros and cons

Merits

  • India has turned into a net exporter of toys with a US$ 152 million surplus in 2025-26 [PIB 2282116]
  • 70% customs duty on imported toys shields domestic makers [PIB 2290441]
  • Established sports-goods clusters at Jalandhar and Meerut with export buyers [DGCI&S 2025]

Demerits

  • Every toy needs a BIS licence and testing before sale [PIB 2290441]
  • There is no dedicated toy policy of the Government of India [PIB 2290441]
  • HSN-95 exports are only 0.13% of India's total exports in 2024-25 - a small global footprint [DGCI&S 2025]
  • Chinese and other low-cost imports still compete in electronic toys

Sources

  1. PIB (Ministry of Commerce, Lok Sabha reply): India's Toy Exports Soar 89.1% (28 Jul 2026)
  2. PIB Backgrounder: Strengthening India's Toy Ecosystem (7 Jul 2026)
  3. DGCI&S Kolkata: Brief Report on Exports of Toys, Games and Sports Requisites (September 2025)