Channapatna toy industry distress

Context

On the one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called upon startups and entrepreneurs to "team up for toys", as he noted India's miniscule share in the global toy market of over Rs 7 lakh crore and asserted that the country has talent and ability to become a hub for the industry, on the other, lockdown caused by COVID-19 pandemic badly affected the life of toy-making artisans of Karnataka's Channapatna.

Background

Karnataka's Channapatna craftspersons lead precarious lives like any other artisan in the country. And with the onset of the pandemic-induced lockdown, their woes have only increased through the months. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a crippling blow to the industry. Out of nearly 200-plus units, about 25 to 30% are functioning on a nominal basis owing to a lack of demand for toys. The pandemic has only added the woes of Artisans.

Toy-City and the Crafts

Channapattana is a city and taluk headquarter in Ramanagara District, Karnataka, it is noted for its famous handmade lacquer wooden toys all over the world and hence popularly known as “Gombegala Ooru” or the “Toy-City” or the “Toy-Town” of Karnataka. It is home to 3,000-5,000 artisans who practice the unique craft of making wooden toys protected under a GI (Geographical Indication) tag. Like any other craft practitioner in the country.

The origin of the wooden toys dates back to the period of Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore who was a great admirer of wooden toys. He took the initiative to invite artisans from Persia and train the local artists to earn the process of making of the wooden toys. The artisans still follow the traditional method of making the toys for nearly two centuries and the artisans are only using ivory wood for making the toys and very rarely rosewood and sandalwood are used. But slowly the artisans have also started to use other woods like teak, pine, rubber and cedar wood.

Indian Toy Industry and Its Significance

Despite the large population, India accounts for just 0.5 per cent of the global toy market. Global market research firm IMARC estimates India's toy market to be worth around Rs 10,000 crore. Of this, the organised toy industry is estimated to be Rs 3,500-4,500 crore, and homegrown toys constitute just 12-13 per cent of this. The unorganised sector controls the major share of the market, of which 90 per cent are imported from China.

Imports from China and Taiwan account for around 90% of the domestic toy market. Besides, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has reached out to large manufacturers and is proposing to hold a round table with them as it seeks investment in the country's $1.75 billion toy industry.

Behind their rising income is a tale of revival. Channapatna is making a strong push. It has been making wooden toys - called lacware toys because they use lac - ever since Tipu Sultan, ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. For two centuries, the town produced mostly dolls for domestic consumption. The influx of Chinese toys for some time downed its market and the town's products were reduced to sell, but in the last couple of years, it recaptured the market.

The interesting fact about the Channapatna toy business is that it is not a large-scale business. A small-scale business, the industry comprised of professional women and men carving out these gorgeous models in the vicinity of their homes.

The state government had also played its part, with the Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation providing marketing support to Channapatna artisans, who number around 2,000. Artisans were also trained on modern machines.

Conclusion

The triple impact of demonetisation, goods and services tax (GST) implementation and now covid-19 have had a crippling impact on the Toy making small and medium industry. No government cares about artisans and weavers. There should have been some help.
The toy-making cluster of Channapatna, a stronghold of Karnataka, is missing from the list. The central government too hasn’t announced anything for the handicrafts sector.

The Indian Railways, however, undertook an initiative to support local craftspeople. As part of its ‘put back the smile’ programme, the Bengaluru division of South Western Railway distributed over 700 Channapatna toys to children of migrant workers who have left Bengaluru by Shramik trains so far.

Connecting the Article

Question for Prelims

The Channapatna Town in southern India is famous for

(a) Toy Crafts
(b) Woolen Crafts
(c) Pottery Crafts
(d) None of these

Question for Mains

Discuss the significance of Indian Toy Industry and the challenges being faced by these Industries.