NRIs buy wooden toys for kids for cultural connect

* How much these cost

The price of wooden toys ranges from Rs200 to Rs600 depending upon the size and design of the toy. The cost of customised toys ranges from Rs4,000 to Rs8,000 per item.

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 25

While kids are spoilt for choice when it comes to toys, non-resident Indians (NRIs) are purchasing wooden playthings for their children to keep them attached to the rich culture of Punjab. Not only this, unemployed youth from the Doaba and Malwa regions of Punjab, who have got training in carpentry, are now adopting the trade keeping in view the profitability.

Landran-based Gurpreet Singh Dhami, who sells wooden toys to his customers living abroad, said he had learnt carpentry from his father and started making furniture and other wooden products in 1996. He recalled he was returning from the Attari-Wagah border when a bus conductor advised him to make wooden toys. He said he liked the idea and started making wooden toys.

Dhami said initially, the demand for his products was less, but later a large number of customers started approaching him for making specially designed wooden toys. He said the price of wooden toys ranged from Rs200 to Rs600 depending upon the size and design of the toy.

He said most of his clients were from Canada, the UK and the USA. He said he also made customised wooden toys on demand, adding that the cost of specially designed toys ranged from Rs4,000 to Rs8,000 per item.

He said the wooden toys he sold included replicas of tractors, trucks, Gypsy, bus, oil tanker and agriculture implements.

Dhami said after witnessing his success, many youths from the Doaba and Malwa regions of Punjab were approaching him for training in making wooden toys. He said he had trained over 100 youths from the two regions. He said 30 youths were still connected with him for advice on the designing of wooden toys. He said he also made decorative items, including table lamps and corner lamps.