Educational toys in demand for India's kids

(UPI) -- Parents in India a spurring an explosion in demand for educational toys for their children, to the tune of 15 percent a year in the next five years.

As a growing democracy, India is turning to improving education to give the next generation of its children a boost in the global competition, and as parents looking to give their kids an advantage are turning to the cognitive benefits provided by play.

"The scope of the educational toy industry is growing among the literate class of society," said Sunil Nanda, the president of the Toy Association of India. "There has always been a relationship between learning and playing and it is very important to understand that."

India's retail toy industry pulls in some Rs.10,000 crore ($16 billion) a year, with the average middle-class urban family spending some Rs.600 to 700 ($10) per child on "edutainment" toys.

"Educational toys have the potential to grow at around 15 percent year-on-year in the next five years," said Shyam Makhija, director of business development at Pegasus ToyKraft.