Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked the toy manufacturers to use less plastic and more eco-friendly material

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked the toy manufacturers to use less plastic and more eco-friendly material, in addition, to focus on innovation.

Inaugurating the first India Toy Fair 2021, Modi said, "We have to become Aatmanirbhar in the toy sector and also cater to the global market".

PM Modi

He regretted that India's share in the USD 100 billion global toy market is very less, and about 85 per cent of the toys sold in the country are imported.

"We need to promote hand-made in India," he said.

The Prime Minister also interacted with traditional toymakers from Chennapatnam, Varanasi and Jaipur and exhorted them to innovate and make traditional toys more relevant keeping in view the changing taste of children.

Narendra Modi

He asked the toy manufacturers to make eco-friendly, attractive and innovative toys and use more recyclable material.

The Indian toy industry has tradition, technology, concepts and competence, Modi said, stressing that "we can give to the world eco-friendly toys".