A toy is an item that is used in play, especially one designed for such use. Playing with toys can be an enjoyable means of training young children for life in society. Different materials like wood, clay, paper, and plastic are used to make toys. The origin of toys is prehistoric; dolls representing infants, animals, and soldiers, as well as representations of tools used by adults are readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word "toy" is unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the 14th century. Toys are mainly made for children. The oldest known doll toy is thought to be 4,000 years old. In recent years many toys have become more complicated with flashing lights and sounds in an effort to appeal to children raised around television and the internet. Popular models to be made include cars, spaceships and houses. Battery-powered ride-on cars have enjoyed popularity since their appearance in the middle of the 20th century. Many new tech toys have appeared since then, but none that can replace the ride-on car with an electric engine. Becoming more sophisticated over the years, they have improved in safety and features. Battery capacity and motor power are two closely related aspects. Standard ride-on car batteries have a 6- or a 12-volt battery. The former features in less powerful cars, which are well-suited for younger children. Children below the age of four should only play with 6-volt battery ride-on cars. Older children can handle a 12-volt battery ride-on car or more.
The largest group of consumers in the Indian toy industry is the pre- teenagers in the age between 7 and 12. Indian consumers are really price-sensitive and tend to buy impulse- driven. Because of that, toys with a low price point up to 199 INR (3.30 USD) account for the majority of sales with 46 % share. Independent small neighborhood retail stores are among the favorite stores for Indians to shop. The data also shows that the imports of toys in India is expected to reach a level of approx Rs 2000 crores during year 2013-14 thereby increasing @21 percent from 2012-13. The export of toys from India is quite low; of the order of approximately Rs 250- 300 crores per annum only and mainly educational toys are being exported to USA, UK and UAE etc.
The Indian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies have performed better than their multinational peers as the combined revenue of country's seven leading FMCG companies stood at US$ 11.1 billion in FY 2015-16.
The electronics market of India is one of the largest in the world and is anticipated to reach USD 400 billion by 2020. Thus, due to demand it is best to invest in this project.
Few Indian major players are as under
· Ajanta Pvt. Ltd.
· Apple Allied Inds. Ltd.
· Funskool (India) Ltd.
· Hanung Toys & Textiles Ltd.
· Mattel Toys (India) Pvt. Ltd.
· Walt Disney Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd.