Mahindras to play ducks and drakes

Arup Chanda
15 November 2001

The Rs 170-crore company, a 100-per cent subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra, is already marketing Lego, Denmark, at its exclusive toy store in Chennai. Next week, MIL will provide an opportunity to Chennai school children to play with Lego toys so as to get a feedback before it decides to stock more international-branded toys.

Says MIL marketing head Parag Dani: We felt the need to conduct such promotional programmes in order to obtain the actual format of retailing schemes. Lego fetched us around 90 per cent of the overall turnover, and we hope to jack it up to 160 per cent by the end of next year.

Intertrade, he says, intends to become a major player in toy business. We made our foray into the kids segment as part of the consumer business. Disney is the second brand that we have tied up this year after Lego. These international brands have made the company a dominant market player in the kids segment.

Apart from Disney and Lego, MIL is in the process of finalising launch of two more international brands within the next three months. It is a closely-guarded secret and we will announce it only when we ink the agreement, says Dani.

Having established strong strategic relationships with several key retail groups and distributors across the country, MIL intends to leverage this with its new brand, Disney Plush Toys. MIL has the license to sell, market and distribute Walt Disney Plush toys in India. The products will be sourced by the company from manufacturers approved by Walt Disney India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Walt Disney International.

Speaking about the new range of toys, Dani says: MIL will introduce to the market a comprehensive range of Walt Disney Toys. First to enter the market will be the Mickey and Minnie family that includes Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Pluto and Goofy.