Nurturing creative imagination through robotic toys

India is rapidly transforming into a dynamic technology hub, embracing the growing influence of gadgets in people’s daily lives. Amidst this progress, the Indian robotic toy market is emerging as a promising sector with vast potential in R&D, AI and the Internet of Things (IoT). Although it is still in its early stages, the Indian robotic toy market shows promising signs of growth and innovation.

Havi.co, a dynamic startup, has set its sights on enhancing the creativity and imagination of children through innovative Do It Yourself (DIY) kits. To gain deeper insights into the DIY robotic toy ecosystem and its potential impact on the education system as envisaged by the New Education Policy, IBT had an enlightening conversation with Prashant Mamtora, founder, Havi.co.

Image Source: Havi.co

IBT: What inspired your decision to develop AI robotic toys instead of ready-to-use toys that are available in the market right now?

Prashant Mamtora: Over the past four to six years, I’ve been homeschooling my kids, and throughout this journey, I’ve personally designed numerous toys for them. Along the way, I’ve both purchased and crafted several toys myself. This experience has led me to firmly believe that toys are not only valuable tools for teaching but also for fostering play, creativity, and performance. Toys offer endless possibilities, not just for children but for adults and everyone alike.

Often, when we talk about toys, we tend to imagine dolls and cricket bats, associating balls and footballs with boys and dolls with girls. Such a typical toy mindset is prevalent, particularly in India. However, there’s so much more to toys than these conventional stereotypes. The power of DIY toys opens up a world of opportunities, allowing us to create countless innovative and engaging things beyond the usual preconceptions.

DIY is a relatively novel concept in India, unlike the Western world where people are accustomed to building everything from houses to furniture on their own. In Western countries, it is not uncommon for individuals to construct their entire houses, with only rare instances of hiring someone for specialized tasks like painting. However, in India, this DIY approach is still quite unfamiliar.

Yet, the reason behind my strong advocacy for the DIY ideology is rooted in the invaluable learning journey it offers. When you engage in crafting things yourself, you gain profound knowledge and experience. You delve into the intricacies of the items you create, whether it’s in the realm of electronics, engineering, science and technology, or even the arts. DIY fosters a myriad of opportunities for learning and growth.

Take, for instance, arts and painting. By actively engaging in painting rather than merely observing others’ work, you acquire the skills to become a talented painter. Similarly, aspiring engineers can enhance their abilities by actively working on projects and applying their knowledge instead of solely relying on observation and reading books.

The core idea behind promoting DIY lies in the understanding that true learning comes through hands-on experiences and actively participating in the creation process. This approach empowers individuals to explore diverse fields, develop essential skills, and foster a deep appreciation for the value of personal creation and innovation.

IBT: What were the primary obstacles that you encountered while launching Havi.co? What strategies did you employ to overcome them?

Prashant Mamtora: The pandemic was the primary roadblock. I started the company in January 2020 but faced setbacks due to the lockdown from March to October. I couldn’t progress as factories were shut, components were unavailable, and interactions were limited. After resuming work in October-November, the severe second wave hit, causing another six-month delay. I lost more than a year in total due to these challenges. Additionally, my inexperience with manufacturing was another obstacle.

The reason behind my strong advocacy for the DIY ideology is rooted in the invaluable learning journey it offers. When you engage in crafting things yourself, you gain profound knowledge and experience. You delve into the intricacies of the items you create, whether it’s in the realm of electronics, engineering, science and technology, or even the arts. DIY fosters a myriad of opportunities for learning and growth.

I come from a background in technology, e-commerce, IT, and digital marketing, with years of experience and expertise in these fields. However, my passion for designing and developing toys led me into the manufacturing domain, which was entirely new for me. I had to learn everything from scratch, from finding the right people and materials to dealing with manufacturers and vendors. Sourcing materials, and components, and coordinating with third-party vendors became challenging tasks that I had to navigate at my own expense. It was a steep learning curve, but my determination to create these toys kept me going despite the troubles I encountered.

My decision to develop AI robotic toys was influenced by my personal experiences and what I’ve learned from others. I discovered that getting things manufactured in India can be challenging. While there have been improvements in recent years, compared to manufacturing specialist countries like Vietnam, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong, there are still difficulties. Quality and materials are concerns, and there can be discrepancies between the expected output and the actual results. I don’t mean to complain; rather, I’m sharing the insights gained from my journey. These challenges have been significant factors in my learning over the past three years.

IBT: How do you think that robotic toys can enhance learning in children? What can children learn from these toys?

Prashant Mamtora: We have Havi elements in various colours, similar to Lego blocks which snap together effortlessly. These elements get easily connected to our self-designed power bank which is made entirely of wood, without any plastic components. Now, If I snap the power source, and turn it on, you’ll hear a sound with displayed output. Notice the power and buzzer elements here. I’ll now snap another element in between these two. When I turn it on, it’s activated. Then off, and on again.

The middle element you see is the light sensor, and we’ve intentionally designed it with colour coding and clear names. Just like the power element is for the power supply and the buzzer for sound, the light sensor senses light. When light falls on it, it triggers the sound. If I obstruct the light, the sound stops. With this tool, the possibilities are endless. You can experiment with it, create various interactions with light, and explore how it affects the sound output. It’s a versatile toy that responds to light changes in its surroundings. You can carry it in your bag or drawer and have fun experimenting with it wherever you go!

This toy serves as a protection and prevention system. When placed in your bag or drawer, it triggers a sound if someone opens it. Similarly, if placed in a cupboard, it will make a sound when the cupboard is opened due to the presence or absence of light. The essence of this toy lies in problem-solving, teaching you how to utilize technology to address real-life situations. By engaging with this toy, you develop problem-solving abilities, creativity, curiosity, and execution skills. The major outcomes include enhanced knowledge in robotics, technology, science, and electronics while fostering essential skills and abilities.

IBT: How does robotic toy technology align with the National Education Policy? What specific advantages do these toys offer?

Prashant Mamtora: Yes, indeed. The robotic toy technology is well-aligned with the National Education Policy’s “learn by doing” approach. Our purpose is to promote play, creation, and performance, not only for kids but for everyone. The policy emphasizes experiential and practical learning, utilizing hands-on tools like our toys. Moreover, the National Education Policy also covers concepts like Newton’s disc in standard six or seven. However, despite learning about it in school, many individuals might not recall what Newton’s disc actually is.

Using our Havi elements, you can create and spin Newton’s disk. Newton’s disk involves seven colour disks that, when rotated, create the colour white, proving that white is a combination of all seven colours. By practically demonstrating this concept with Havi elements, students are more likely to remember and understand it better than just reading about it in books or seeing pictures.

The robotic toy technology is well-aligned with the National Education Policy’s “learn by doing” approach. Our purpose is to promote play, creation, and performance, not only for kids but for everyone.

Furthermore, this hands-on experience can spark creativity and innovation in students. Brilliant minds may come up with new and creative applications for this principle in real-life situations. By nurturing imagination, innovation, and invention mindset, India can progress towards becoming a knowledge economy, driven by scientific discoveries and innovations. These elements open the door of imagination for children, enabling them to create hundreds of different creations. Even at higher academic levels like IITs, educators have found these elements valuable in teaching principles like spring mechanisms to Master’s students of civil engineering.

IBT: What are the essential components of the ecosystem that would facilitate the process of establishing India as a prominent manufacturing hub for robotic toys?

Prashant Mamtora: Robotic toys involve various processes such as wire manufacturing, crimping, PCB assembly, and plastic moulding. Each component, like LEDs, potentiometers, and diodes, has its own unique manufacturing requirements. Motors, wheels, and other parts also require different manufacturing approaches. This complexity arises from the diverse materials and sourcing needs involved. However, we have successfully addressed these challenges and now possess the capability to handle all aspects of production, ensuring customer satisfaction through the supply of high-quality robotic toys.

IBT: Apart from robotic toys what other areas of focus do you have? Do you educate students about cutting-edge technologies and provide related training?

Prashant Mamtora: We aim to integrate robotics and technology into various learning disciplines, including sports, performing arts, visual arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Through our research, we develop a range of educational toys that can teach multiple skills. Simultaneously, we are building a community of teachers and supporting them through training workshops and seminars. By equipping teachers with these toys, we can make a broader impact on education. Our training programs cater to government and private teachers, freelance teachers, and even housewives interested in conducting classes in their local areas. This approach benefits education and provides employment opportunities for teachers.

IBT: What is the current extent of your market presence, and what strategies do you have in place to expand your business within domestic and international markets?

Prashant Mamtora: We launched our product in November 2022, approximately seven months ago, and our current focus is primarily on online sales. Our website, Havi.co, serves as our main sales channel, where we receive orders from around the world. Additionally, we sell on popular marketplaces such as Amazon, First Cry, Flipkart, and other niche toy retailers across India. We are proud to have shipped our electronic toys not only within India but also to various countries in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. In Bhavnagar, Gujarat, we have an experience centre dedicated to customer learning. Moving forward, our goal is to create an omnichannel toy market that blends education, information, and entertainment for everyone.

IBT: What are your long-term visions for the company?

Prashant Mamtora: My ultimate goal for this company is to become a global toy brand, shipping billions of toys worldwide. We aim to design toys for a diverse range of disciplines, expanding beyond robotics. Our vision includes creating both tech-based and non-tech toys for sports, arts, and various other subjects. We want to provide entertainment while facilitating learning, practice, and performance. Over the next five to ten years, our plan is to establish a strong presence as a Made-in-India brand in the domains of toys, sports, arts, and all learning disciplines. We aspire to serve both online and offline markets, delivering our products globally.

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Prashant, an Entrepreneur, possesses an innate drive for design, engineering, and continuous learning. His current venture, Havi.co, is a direct-to-consumer (D2C) toy design company specializing in the creation of robotic toys. He started his first venture – Indies Services in the year 2004. Before Havi.co, he founded Milople, an e-commerce and digital marketing company with 4000+ customers in 80+ countries.