As plans for Kids India 2025 begin to take shape, Spielwarenmesse India announced Tanu Ailawadi as its new Managing Director. After more than 10 years of successful growth, Ailawadi will continue to pioneer the Indian toy market to put new, innovative products in the hands of kids around the world.
Ailawadi is no stranger to Spielwarenmesse eG. As the previous Project Manager, Ailawadi has organized Kids India since its inception in 2013. She has over 20 years of experience in business and management, including leading a German trade fair team at the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce. With a knowledge of business operations and a well-established network across various markets, Ailawadi plans to bring India’s market into the Western toy fold.
Using my extensive knowledge of the Indian toy market and my personal contacts with its key players and decision-makers, I am aiming to continue leading Kids India forward and to secure the company’s position in the Indian market."
Kids India 2024 finished only a few months ago, but under Ailawadi’s direction, plans for next year’s Mumbai toy fair are already underway. With the largest market of children under 14 years old in the world, over 25 percent of the population, India plays a vital role in the growth and expansion of the toy industry. Subsequently, Spielwarenmesse’s Kids India has become a global marketplace for toy manufacturers and professionals to expand their outreach with creative new ideas.
Last year’s fair boasted incredible success, attracting over 5,000 trade visitors from over 30 different countries to the global toy fair. This year’s addition of a start-up pavilion, a showcase for products that have been on the market for under five years, proved to be an effective strategy to support the growing number of young, innovative toy businesses in the country. Next year’s event will once again include the pavilion, giving a new generation of products the chance to be in the global spotlight.
For those who want to learn more about the Indian product market, toy professionals will host a panel at Spielwarenmesse on Feb. 1 discussing market entry strategies and India’s potential as a site of future toy production. After the panel, the panelists invite participants to an informal gathering with Ailawadi, allowing industry leaders to meet and swap ideas with Kids India’s newest Managing Director.
Kids India 2025 will take place Oct. 6-8 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. To reserve a booth, exhibitors can visit the Kids India website.
