In a significant step towards strengthening India’s electronic toy industry, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), Noida, a research organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Creative Play Lab (CPL), a department of the LEGO Group. The collaboration falls under the MeitY initiative ‘Development of Electronics and IT-based Control and Automation Solutions for Consumer Electronic Goods (Toy Industry)’, aimed at nurturing young engineering talent and fostering innovation in electronic toy development.
The project is a tailored R&D initiative designed to drive growth in the Indian electronic toy sector by developing cutting-edge prototypes and equipping young engineers, particularly from under-represented communities, with essential design and development skills.
Under this initiative, aspiring engineers from across India, including candidates from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and the North Eastern Region (NER), undergo an extensive year-long research and development program. The first six months of the program focus on hands-on experience in electronic toy design at CDAC-Noida’s specialized toy labs. The next phase includes six months of industry training, enabling these young engineers to create prototypes aligned with industry requirements.
To provide global exposure and mentorship, LEGO India, supported by CPL, is extending guidance to 1-2 students per batch, assisting them in refining their toy prototypes. Furthermore, selected students will have the unique opportunity to visit the LEGO Group’s headquarters in Billund, Denmark, for an immersive learning experience. CPL will also contribute to the knowledge-sharing process by engaging with the third batch of young engineers through webinars, offering insights into CPL’s experimentation approach, toy development standards, and constructive feedback on student-created prototypes.
The signing event was graced by the presence of Bhuvnesh Kumar, Additional Secretary, MeitY; Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY; Sunita Verma, Group Coordinator (R&D), MeitY; Vivek Khaneja, Executive Director, CDAC-Noida; Colette Burke, Global Chief Commercial Officer, LEGO Group, Denmark; Claus Kristensen, Senior Vice President, APAC Market Group, Singapore, along with senior officials from the ministry and industry representatives.
