The Cursive Letters Blog

The Indian toy and stationery industry has experienced one of the fastest shifts due to policy changes compared to other consumer categories in the last decade. According to a Lok Sabha report dated July 2026 from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the imports of toys in the country plunged from about $371.7 million (FY19) to $232.3 million (FY 2025-26) while at the same time exports shot up from $203.5 million to $384.7 million, thus turning India into a net exporter of toys for the first time since several decades. The growth of stationery sector spearheaded by the emergence of new listed companies such as DOMS Industries and Flair Writing Industries has been driven by the boom in the education sector that was additionally triggered by a GST reduction in September 2025. The explanation behind both stories is the past decade of customs duties increases, compulsory BIS certification, and cluster-based manufacturing support and this change is of utmost importance in case you are a wholesale stationery supplier, stationery importer, direct importer from China, or supplier for online retailers that operate on Meesho, Amazon, or Flipkart as it changes the process of making profit out of imports as opposed to local sourcing of products.

The way in which India conducts its imports is based on the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, the Customs Act of 1962, and an increasing number of compliance rules—these include BIS certification, the Paper Import Monitoring System (PIMS), anti-dumping duties, and Legal Metrology labelling. Taken together, these factors determine how easily and at what cost a business can introduce goods into India—whether or not it is a direct importer from China buying pens for a small stationery brand or a listed manufacturer such as DOMS Industries.

India's Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) rely significantly on Chinese manufacturing for raw materials, components, machinery, and finished goods. The following insights and data illustrate the extent of this dependence and its implications for Indian businesses.