New Delhi (NVI): The global toy industry is over Rs 7 lakh crore but India’s share is very small, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address today while calling upon young entrepreneurs to “team up for toys” as part of his government’s ‘vocal for local’ initiative.
While addressing the nation on the 68th edition of his radio address, PM Modi, in his yet another push for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (seld-reliant India) said the country has the ability to become a toy hub for the entire world.
“Whereas toys augment activity, they also give flight to our aspirations. Toys, not only entertain, they also build the mind and foster an intent too,” PM said in his address, adding that even Rabindra Nath Tagore had said about the importance of toys.
“I read somewhere what Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had said about toys, the best toy is that which is incomplete; a toy that children together complete while playing. Gurudev Tagore had said that during his childhood, he used to make his own toys and games with his friends, with materials available at home, using his own imaginationm,” he said.
He said that in the National Education Policy, a lot of attention has been given on the impact of toys on different aspects of children’s lives.
During his address, the PM also lauded various mobile apps that were part of the “app innovation challenge” and urged young entrepreneurs to develop computer games in the country.
“In this era of computers and smartphones, there is a big trend of computer games. These games are played by children and grownups as well. But even in these games, their themes are mostly extraneous. Our country has so many ideas, so many concepts; our history has been very rich. Can we make games based on that?”
Apart from that, PM Modi also praised citizens for their patience and simplicity for their festivals amid the pandemic situation.
“At every event being organised in the country, the kind of patience and simplicity being witnessed this time is unprecedented. Even Ganeshotsav is being celebrated online at certain places; at most places eco-friendly Ganesh idols have been installed,” he said adding that there is a close link between nature and our festivals.
PM Modi also lauded the farmers for their perseverance amid the Covid-19 pandemic that led to an increase in the sowing of kharif crops by 7 percent compared to last year.
“The sowing of paddy has increased by approximately 10 percent, pulses close to 5 percent, coarse cereals almost 3 percent, oilseeds around 13 percent and cotton nearly 3 percent. For this I extend felicitations to the farmers of our country…I salute their perseverance,” he said.
-ARK
