The proposed world’s largest toy museum in Gandhinagar’s Gift City, showcasing 11 lakh toys from across the country. The project aims to give a massive push to the homegrown toy industry.
December 05, 2020
The Gujarat government has proposed a plan to build the largest toy museum in the world, showcasing 11 lakh toys from across the country. The displayed toys would represent the traditional and cultural heritage of the country and the different innovative and educational toys of the homegrown toy brands. To be started in Gandhinagar’s Gift City, the upcoming museum will be built in the coming three to five years at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore.
As per sources, the project has been envisioned by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with an aim to give a push to the homegrown toy industry. In the past few months and particularly with the launch of the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, he has put forth his suggestions and plans with regard to promoting the local toy industry with special emphasis on innovation whilst coming up with toys reflecting Indian ethos and values.
The Children’s University in Gandhinagar, which comes under the Gujarat Department of Higher Education, has been made the nodal agency for the project. The varsity has been tasked with developing toys as per “the values and traditions of ancient and modern India”.
The state has already granted Children’s University 30 acres at Gift City to expand its campus, of which around 8-10 acres is likely to be dedicated to the Toy Bhawan and Museum project. Once complete, the museum would be ticketed at a nominal rate.
Vice-Chancellor Harshad Shah told The Indian Express that the project is currently in the primary stage and work will start over the next two to three months. He added that “among the 11 lakh toys, there will be toys based on education, science, astronomy, language, history, culture and social science. However, there will be no guns or toys that promote violence, or even teddy bears, which propagate lethargy in children.”
Shah said that PM Modi held a virtual meeting with him in August this year to discuss the concept, along with four Union ministers — Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani, and Ramesh Pokhriyal. Afterward, the PM in his next Mann Ki Baat program laid focus on building toys in India to give a boost to Atmanirbhar Bharat, while reducing our dependence on foreign-manufactured toys. He had called upon startup entrepreneurs to “team up for toys”, saying it is high time to get vocal for locally produced toys.
The museum will focus on the history of India and important landmark moments through toys and tableaus — for instance, there will be sections dedicated to ISRO’s Gaganyaan project, EVM machines, and the First War of Independence in 1857. With the help of DRDO, replicas of electronically-operated, battery-operated, and solar-based rockets, Prithvi Missile, Agni Missile, and satellites will also be displayed. The state will also rope in hundreds of local artisans to build toys showcasing the traditions of India.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said, “Gujarat has been at the centre of industrial development in India and it’s our vision that the state contributes to the toy market as well. The state produces traditional toys and will contribute to the PM’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission with the largest toy museum in the world.”
As of now, the rank of the largest toy museum in the world is held by the World’s Largest Toy Museum Complex, which is located in Missouri in the US. It has more than 10 lakh toys on display and it is spread over 26,000 sq. ft.
Sourced via: The Indian Express
