Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, called for innovation and infrastructure to complement policy in building a Viksit Bharat, speaking at an event organised by the Toy Association of India in New Delhi. She highlighted government-backed initiatives — from the e-Toycathon to digital public infrastructure platforms — as tools to integrate toy artisans and entrepreneurs into national markets.

Context

Sitharaman's remarks, shared on her official X account, underlined that India's push for a self-reliant, innovation-led toy sector hinges on connecting grassroots artisans with digital tools. She specifically cited the e-Toycathon — a government-supported competition to develop indigenous electronic toys, Augmented Reality (AR) games, and coding kits — as a vehicle for nurturing next-generation products in the sector.

The Finance Minister noted that women entrepreneurs, PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries, and Skill India-trained artisans are 'key partners in this transformation', signalling that the government views the toy sector as a lever for inclusive economic growth, not just industrial output.

Policy Backdrop

The remarks draw on a layered policy architecture built over the past decade. The Skill India Mission, launched in 2015, has trained millions of Indians in manufacturing and services, including toy design and production. The PM Vishwakarma scheme, announced in the 2023-24 Union Budget, extends credit, skill training, and market support specifically to traditional craftspeople — a cohort that includes toy artisans.

On the digital side, UPI — rolled out in 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India — enables seamless transactions for small sellers. The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), piloted in 2021, is designed to give micro-enterprises access to e-commerce without dependence on closed platforms. TReDS (Trade Receivables Discounting System) and the Account Aggregator framework further ease working-capital and credit access for small businesses. Sitharaman's address explicitly named all four as enablers for toy entrepreneurs reaching 'markets nationwide'.

Successive Union Budgets have also prioritised reducing India's import dependence in toys, encouraging domestic manufacturing and technology-embedded products as part of the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat agenda.

Stakeholders and Impact

The beneficiary landscape Sitharaman described is wide. PM Vishwakarma beneficiaries — traditional craftspeople who have received government-backed credit and training — stand to gain from smoother market linkages via ONDC and TReDS. Women-led micro-enterprises in the toy supply chain are positioned as central actors, not peripheral ones, in the sector's modernisation.

The Toy Association of India, which organised the event, represents manufacturers and artisans seeking both regulatory support and export opportunities. The Finance Minister's address at such an industry forum signals the government's intent to maintain high-level engagement with the sector's stakeholders as it scales up domestic production and innovation capacity.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to how quickly toy clusters across India are integrated with ONDC and TReDS platforms in practice, and whether the next Union Budget carries fresh allocations or regulatory updates for the sector. The Finance Minister's framing of innovation, infrastructure, and policy as a triad also sets expectations for any forthcoming announcements on e-Toycathon outcomes or expanded Skill India modules tailored to toy manufacturing. India's ability to convert this policy intent into measurable export growth and artisan income gains will be the ultimate test of the framework Sitharaman outlined.