Nirmal wooden toys, Pembarthi metal craft and Warangal durries positioned to benefit from rising domestic demand and new export opportunities
HYDERABAD: Telangana’s toy and craft‑linked manufacturing ecosystem is gaining momentum as India’s toy exports jump 89.1 per cent to $384.7 million in FY 2025–26, with Nirmal wooden toys, Pembarthi metal craft and Warangal durries positioned to benefit from rising domestic demand and new export opportunities.
Official data show toy imports falling 37.5 per cent to $232.3 million in the same period, driven by higher customs duties, quality control order checks, BIS licensing for over 1,800 domestic manufacturers and cluster‑based support under MSME and textiles schemes. A BIS survey in 2025 found 95 per cent of toy samples conforming to prescribed quality standards, up from 33 per cent in 2019, signalling safer, more competitive and increasingly export‑oriented domestic manufacturing.
The recent 17th Toy Biz International B2B Exhibition in New Delhi showcased 400 Indian toy brands, 100 international buyers from 40 countries and about 30,000 business visitors, underscoring the push to connect manufacturers with wholesalers, retailers, distributors, institutional buyers and e‑commerce platforms.
In Telangana, a dedicated toys park is planned at Dandumalkapur near Hyderabad to anchor modern toy clusters, while Nirmal toys hand‑painted wooden figures made by the Somakshatriya subgroup of the Naqqash artisan community remain a traditional strength.
A Nirmal‑based wood‑toy worker, B. Narsing, now settled in the Old City, said families belonging to the Naqqash caste in Nirmal need focused support in their hometown to move beyond subsistence‑level production. “What Nirmal requires is a common facility centre with shared tools, drying chambers and safe painting areas, along with a design and skill‑upgradation centre to help artisans create contemporary, export‑ready products,” he said.
He urged the state to set up a dedicated Nirmal toy cluster with easier BIS compliance support for GI‑tagged artisans, regular buyer–seller meets, and a strong branding and e‑commerce push so that Naqqash families can command better prices and secure steady orders. “Without these, the younger generation will continue to leave the craft,” he warned.
Commerce minister Piyush Goyal has announced a toy‑sector task force to help India capture 5% of the global toy market by 2032, with emphasis on quality, safety standards, design, packaging and product innovation areas that Nirmal artisans say must be extended to traditional craft clusters through targeted interventions.
