Toys & games · 02
Soft toys are sewn by hand, and tested with a pull gauge.
A good plush toy depends on a few things you can measure: stitch density, how strongly the eyes are fixed, how clean the fibre fill is, and how the fabric burns. We source own-brand soft toys from export sewing units in Delhi NCR and Mumbai that work to buyer patterns, and we test every design to EN 71 or ASTM F963 before it ships.
Polyester plush · minky · velboa · organic cotton
Fabrics
Virgin PP fibre · PE pellets (where allowed)
Fill
EN 71-1/2/3 · ASTM F963 · CPSIA
Standards
Delhi NCR · Mumbai
Clusters
Overview
Pattern, stitch and fill
Soft toys are one of India's strongest toy exports. They suit India's large garment-sewing workforce, and most are made to the buyer's own design.
Every design starts as a paper or CAD pattern and a hand-sewn prototype. Once you approve it, the pattern is graded, cut by die or laser, and sewn with seam allowances and stitch counts set out in the specification sheet. Embroidered eyes are used for toys aimed at under-threes. Safety eyes and noses are allowed only for older age grades, and each one must pass a 90 N pull test.
Fill is a safety issue, not just a matter of feel. We specify virgin, clean polyester fibre fill with a hygiene certificate, and an inner bag for any pellets. Fabric flammability is tested to EN 71-2 for Europe and the 16 CFR 1500.44 method under ASTM F963 for the United States. Organic programmes use GOTS-certified cotton and low-impact dyes.
Labels matter as much as the toy. The EU needs the CE mark, the manufacturer or importer's address, warnings and a batch number. The US needs a permanent tracking label. Many US states also need a law label stating the fill material and registration number. These are agreed and printed before sewing starts.
At a glance
- Products
- Teddy bears, plush animals, baby comforters, activity toys, promotional and licensed plush
- MOQ
- 500–1,000 pcs per design
- Sample time
- 10–15 days per prototype round
- Lead time
- 45–60 days after golden sample approval
How we work
We source from India's established brands — we do not manufacture
Akarta Exports is a sourcing and export house. We do not own factories and we do not claim to. Our value is that we know which well-known Indian brands and manufacturers make what, to what standard, and at what price — and we buy from them to the exact specification you give us.
01 — Your specification, written down
We start from your specification, not from a catalogue. Grade, dimension, tolerance, finish, test standard, pack, artwork and labelling are put in writing and confirmed with you before a single enquiry goes out.
02 — Matched to the right Indian brand
We place that specification with established, well-known Indian brands and manufacturers in the cluster that genuinely makes the product — Morbi for tiles, Rajkot and Ludhiana for machinery, Meerut and Jalandhar for sports goods, Kerala and Gujarat for spices.
03 — Offers compared on merit
Because we own no plant and owe no factory a minimum offtake, we compare offers openly on quality, consistency, capacity and price — and tell you where a lower price will not hold up in your market.
04 — Inspected, consolidated, shipped
Our own inspectors clear the goods at the brand's plant and again before loading. Multiple brands and multiple divisions consolidate into one container, one invoice and one document set.
Brand names are disclosed to you on the offer and named on the inspection report, so you always know whose production you are buying. Where a buyer already has a preferred Indian brand, we are happy to source that brand and handle only the inspection, consolidation, documentation and shipping.
Are you an Indian manufacturer or brand owner in this sector? Register your plant with our export desk.
The range
Soft toy range
- Teddy bears & classic plush
- Jointed and unjointed bears from 15 cm to 120 cm, plush animals, dolls and characters.
- Baby & infant
- Security blankets and comforters, rattles, crinkle and teething toys with embroidered features for 0+ months.
- Activity & sensory
- Activity cubes, textured sensory toys, weighted toys, cot toys and pram hangers.
- Organic & eco
- GOTS organic cotton toys, recycled-PET plush with GRS certificate, natural dye ranges.
- Promotional & licensed
- Mascots, corporate gifts, souvenir and character plush made under the brand owner's approval.
Technical data
Technical data
Indicative figures for the grades we ship most often. Exact values are confirmed per factory and per production batch on your quotation.
Swipe table to see all columns →
| Parameter | Typical specification | Test reference |
|---|---|---|
| Seam strength | Holds 70–90 N without opening | EN 71-1 / ASTM F963 seam test |
| Eyes & noses | Embroidered (0–36 m) or safety lock-washer (36 m+) | Torque and 90 N tension test |
| Fill material | Virgin polyester fibre, hygiene certified | Law label / state registration (US) |
| Flammability | Slow-burning fabric | EN 71-2 / 16 CFR 1500.44 |
| Chemical limits | Heavy metals, azo dyes, formaldehyde | EN 71-3, REACH, CPSIA |
| Size range | 10 cm to 120 cm | As per approved sample |
Customs classification
HS codes for this range
Harmonized System codes most commonly used when clearing these goods. The final 8-digit tariff line is confirmed on your commercial invoice according to the destination country's tariff schedule.
| HS code | Classification |
|---|---|
| 9503.00 | Stuffed toys representing animals or non-human creatures, dolls |
Quality assurance
Nothing leaves India until our own inspectors clear it
Akarta runs an in-house quality department with inspectors assigned to each division. Goods are checked at the factory during production and again before loading, against the written specification agreed on your purchase order — not against the factory's own grading.
- Pre-production sample approved by the buyer before bulk manufacture begins
- In-line checks during production against the written specification on your order
- Pre-shipment inspection with photographic report before container sealing
- Third-party inspection (SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek) arranged where required
ISO 9001:2015
Certified quality management system
Govt. approved
Registered Indian merchant exporter
In-house docs
Export paperwork prepared by our team
Packing & shipping
Packed the way your market receives it
Tell us the pack, carton print and shipping marks you need and we will quote against them. Loading plans are prepared before dispatch so the container arrives the way your warehouse expects it.
- Individual poly bags with printed suffocation warning
- Hang tags and sewn-in labels with CE / UKCA marks, address and batch number
- Vacuum compression for larger plush where agreed, to cut freight cost
- Five-ply master cartons with mixed-design assortments if required
Global reach
Quoted in your currency, shipped from your nearest Indian port
Enquiries reach us from importers, distributors, contractors and retail chains across five continents — Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. We quote FOB, CFR or CIF, load from Mundra, Kandla, Nhava Sheva or Pipavav depending on your routing, and keep one commercial contact accountable for the consignment from purchase order to bill of lading.
Africa
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa
Middle East
UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq
Europe
Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom
Americas
United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile
Asia-Pacific
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan
Load ports
Mundra · Kandla · Pipavav · Nhava Sheva
Incoterms
FOB · CFR · CIF · EXW on request
Correspondence
English, with documentation to buyer-country requirements
Buyer questions
What importers usually ask us first
Can you make our mascot or character?
Yes. Send artwork or a turnaround drawing; we return a sewn prototype for comments, usually in two rounds, before the golden sample is signed off.
Are soft toys for babies tested differently?
Yes. Toys for under-36-month children are tested for small parts, and stricter seam and component tests are applied. That's why we use embroidered features rather than safety eyes for these ranges.
Can plush be compressed for shipping?
Most polyester-filled plush recovers well after vacuum compression, which can more than double the units per container. We test recovery on the approved sample before agreeing to it.
Common enquiries
Specifications buyers most often ask us to quote
These are the enquiries that reach this desk most weeks. If yours is on the list, we already have the grades, packing and loadability worked out — send the quantity and destination port and we will price it.
Also in this division
Related ranges
Export desk
Request a quotation
Send your product type, grade, quantity and destination port. Our export desk replies with available grades, packing options, loadability and indicative pricing — usually within one working day.