Lok Sabha Question No. 5357 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-04-05
Subject: Import of Toys
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Manoj Kumar Tiwari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5357 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05 th  APRIL, 2023

## IMPORT OF TOYS

## 5357.   SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मं त्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken steps on import of toys from countries like China, which is adversely affecting the traditional cottage industry of the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken/proposes to take steps to promote small cottage Indian industries in a phased manner to address this issue; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) to (d): A series of steps have been taken by the government to restrict import of substandard and unsafe toys and to promote domestic toy industry as follows:

1.  Directorate  General  of  Foreign  Trade  (DGFT),  vide  Notification  No.33/2015-2020  dated 02.12.2019, mandated sample testing of each import consignment and no permission for sale unless the quality testing is successful. In case of failure, the consignment is either sent back or destroyed at the cost of the importer.

2. Basic Custom Duty (BCD) on Toys has been increased from 22% to 66% in Budget 2020-21 and has been further increased to 70% in Budget 2023-24.

3. Safety of Toys is under compulsory BIS certification from 1 st Jan 2021 as per the Toys (Quality Control) Order, 2020 issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) under Section 16 of the BIS Act, 2016.

3(a). Accordingly, it is mandatory for Toys to conform to Indian Standards for Safety of Toys and bear the  Standard  Mark  (ISI  Mark)  under  a  licence  from  BIS  as  per  Scheme-I  of  Schedule-II  of  BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.

3(b). In view of that, manufacturers both in India and abroad (i.e. foreign manufacturers who intend to export toys to India) are required to obtain licence from BIS. Further, no person shall manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store or exhibit for sale any toys without the BIS Standard Mark (ISI Mark) as per this QCO read with the BIS Act, 2016.

3(c)  Products  manufactured  &  sold  by  artisans  registered  with  Development  Commissioner  (DC) Handicraft and by registered proprietor along with authorized user of Geographical Indicators (GI) products have been exempted from application of Quality Control Order (QCO).

3(d) Special provisions were notified by the BIS on 17.12.2020 so as to grant license to micro scale units manufacturing toys without testing facility for one year, which has been extended up to 3 years without establishing in-house testing facility.

3(e) As on 27.03.2023, 1140 licences have been granted by BIS to domestic toy manufacturing units (858 for non-electric toys  -  IS  9873  (Part  1):2019  and  282  for  electric  toys  -  IS  15644:2006).  36 licences have also been granted to foreign toy manufacturing units (26 for non-electric toys - IS 9873 (Part 1):2019 and 10 for electric toys - IS 15644:2006).

(4) A comprehensive National Action Plan for Toys has been formulated by the government to promote designing  of  toys  based  on  Indian  values,  culture  and  history;  using  toys  as  a  learning  resource; organizing hackathons and grand challenges for toy designing and manufacturing; monitoring quality of toys, restricting imports of substandard and unsafe toys; promoting indigenous toy clusters; boost local manufacturing and incentivize toy manufacturers to promote Made in India toys.

(5)  The  Ministry  of  Micro,  Small  &  Medium  Enterprises  (MSME)  has  approved  19  toy  Clusters covering 11749 artisans with Government of India assistance of Rs. 55.65 crore under the Scheme of Fund for Registration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) till December, 2022.

(6) Ministry of Textiles has Identified 13 toy clusters across the country for the overall development of toy artisans till December 2022.

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