Client Overview
Nihon Auto Toys is a prominent plush toy manufacturing company specialize in planning, manufacturing, and sales of “stuffed toys” and “toy sundries” that are used as amusement prizes. The larger objective was to explore and understand key stuffed toys/plush toys manufacturers in India who will also have extensive distribution network. The study will help the client to have understanding around operational and financial performance for such key manufacturers, along with assessing whether they are open to perform business with Nihon.
Our Approach
The study was divided into three key phases:
- Identification and profiling of top plush toy manufacturers.
- On-ground assessment by Nexdigm representatives to validate capabilities and arrange factory visits.
- Client-led factory visits and evaluations leading to final partner selection.
Mapped and shortlisted 7 top plush toy manufacturers from India, primarily in Greater Noida/Delhi NCR and one in Mumbai, based on:
- Export experience (especially to Japan/US/Europe)
- Factory scale, automation, and capacity
- Licenses (e.g., Disney, Pokémon), certifications (ISO, EN-71, BIS, SEDEX)
- Willingness to handle low MOQ and custom designs
Nexdigm’s team personally visited manufacturing sites in advance and arranged geo-tagged, scheduled factory visits for Nihon Auto Toy.
Conducted on ground visit with the client with factory directors to assess strategic fit, capacity, and openness to Japanese business practices.
Impact We Created
- The engagement helped Nihon Auto Toy gain deep insights into India’s plush toy ecosystem, sourcing trends, factory standards, and scalability—crucial for future supply chain decisions.
- Successful Matchmaking: Enabled Nihon Auto Toy to conduct in-person evaluations of all 7 shortlisted manufacturers, providing transparency on production quality, workforce strength, and process maturity.
- Strategic Selection: The client was able to finalize one preferred partner for contract manufacturing, leading to a multi-million dollar deal and the start of a long-term partnership.