Chinese imitations

The Bengaluru–Mysuru highway is dotted with Channapatna toy shops in and around Channapatna. But a closer look reveals lurking among the traditional Channapatna toys are also ‘Chinese-make’ toys. These mass-produced and cheap imitations are a threat to traditional toy makers. However, G. Muniswamy, KSHDC General Manager (Marketing), argues that they are “no match for genuine toys”, which have Geographical Indication (GI) tag, and a discerning buyer can tell the difference.