Bhoomika Singh
The very first editions of India’s age-old iconic GI products, the India GI Fair and Khilona 2022-India Toys & Games Fair organized by the Export Promotion Council of Handicrafts (EPCH) held at India Expo Centre & Mart from 26th August to 28th August 2022.
The fairs were visited by various dignitaries like Chandan Ram Das, Minister of Social Welfare, Minority Welfare, Student Welfare, Road Transport, MSME, Khadi & Village Industries, Govt. of Uttarakhand; Dr Daya Shankar Mishra, Minister of State for Ayush (I.C) Govt of Uttar Pradesh and Former Member of Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader, Vijay Goel, among others.
“Buyers in good numbers visited and showed keen interest in sourcing Toys & Games and India’s signature products. They expressed happiness on having visited the first edition of the India GI Fair with so much to see, learn, experience and source from. Among toys & games, Robotics, products from new start-ups, heritage toys and learning & therapy toys have attracted many,” informed Raj Kumar Malhotra, Chairman, EPCH.
This visit proved fruitful for Miles Shulmani from the USA who deals in toy imports & distribution and is looking at shifting his sourcing base to India. Roberto Remeris, home products retailer from Spain was excited to see variety at the India GI Fair and children’s room decor & accessories at Khilona. Ezette Fourie from South Africa who sources wooden toys that support educational learning for toddlers saw good opportunities through Khilona and STEM Confex.
“Toy crafts at India GI Fair looked attractive and artisans super skilled,” she said. Khilona was visited by buyers from Germany, USA, South America, UK, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Oman, UAE and CIS nations, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Singapore. India GI Fair got buyers from the USA, Canada, Turkey, Middle East, Australia, UK, Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, Jordan, Singapore, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, South Africa, Nepal, Hong Kong, Japan, Costa Rica and Mauritius.
Visiting International included ToyRus from Saudi Arabia; playbox from Sweden; Samaco toys and leisure from Saudi Arabia; tiny tree toys from South Africa; Texas toys distribution from the USA; zeta group from Azerbaijan; City Centre commercial Kuwait; Heritage lace USA; Al Tamimi group Oman; Zircon Swiss fine food Private Limited, Singapore; On cost, Kuwait; Poly wiggles South Africa; India Bazaar South Africa and many more. Hamleys, Archies, Myntra, India Bazaar, Reliance Retail, Qalara, Lulu Group and Amazon were among the volume retailers from India who visited.
Rakesh Kumar, Director General, EPCH shared how toy manufacturers in India are keen on the sustainability quotient besides looking at being technically compatible. Many toy makers are coming up with ways to highlight the importance of responsible manufacturing through ethical practices, said Kumar.
He further added, “there are crafts persons, especially in our toy-making clusters, who abide by the trend of sustainability and building greener earth by using eco-friendly materials like bamboo, terracotta, river reed, jute, screw pine, waste paper, sugarcane fibres, etc. and colours derived from natural sources.
This is a category where innovations are continuously emerging with EPCH’s hand holding and design intervention initiatives playing a decisive role.”
“Exhibitors are happy with this new platform and look forward to future editions,” shared R K Verma, Executive Director, EPCH and added that the concurrent fairs have provided a significant glimpse of India’s strengths in multiple sectors and industries.
Speaking on the occasion Verma informed that over 11000 visitors visited during the three days. For the Khilona-India Toys & Games Fair business of approximately 22 Crores is expected to materialize, while at the India GI Fair, most of the participants sold the GI tag products and generated many business enquiries.
Among exhibitors, Amit Kumar from Smartivity Labs Pvt. Ltd., said, “The response encourages us to expect growth through this participation.” Jatin Sachdeva, VP Operations, HoneyBun said, “Excellent management and great facilities for the exhibitors. Look forward to meeting more clients here.”
Vineet Srivastava, Founder, Wibyte added, “Quality crowd and a fantastic platform to promote brands, build relationships with, and network with specific audiences.” Arjun Seth, Parenting Coach, CEO, Prodigy Super Kids shared, “Ma Shishu Expo and STEM Confex is a great platform to connect with parents and interact with different schools & educators. I am also very happy with the support of the organizing team.”
TwoPanel Discussions – “Geographical Indication (GI) – Ecosystem and initiatives for brand promotion through market linkages” and “Reinventing the future toys – design, learning, creativity, entrepreneurship” brought forth expertise and knowledge sharing towards a collective vision for the future.
Two concurrent shows i.e. The Maa – Shishu Expo presenting a variety of products, services, support, advice and tips for holistic parenting and STEM expo designed to spark the curiosity of its participants by providing a positive experiential opportunity for learning showcasing the emerging tech available in EdTech were concluded with overwhelming response.
Also Read: Practically, the edtech sector will always remain a support system for the education sector
The fairs were concluded with a Valedictory Ceremony and Best Display Awards with the presence of the Chief Guest at the event, Anil Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India. Raj K Malhotra, Chairman, EPCH, Rakesh Kumar, Director General, EPCH & Chairman, IEML; Members of Committee of Administration, EPCH; and R K Verma, Executive Director, EPCH, also graced the occasion.
