Avani Modi Sarkar and Viral Modi started Modi Toys in 2018.
For Avani Modi Sarkar and Viral Modi, everything new begins with a prayer to Ganesh. So it was natural that the first plush religious toy they designed was of the Hindu elephant-headed god. Their initial stock was snapped up in two weeks.
Gradually, they started making mantra-singing plush toys resembling other Hindu deities that they sell online to customers in dozens of countries.
The siblings, who emigrated to New Jersey from India when both were children, started Modi Toys in 2018 after realizing their own kids and those of other Hindu immigrants would be growing up in America without the cultural exposure needed as a foundation for faith.
Now the company aims to target one of the biggest potential markets for its products- India-with "Made in India" tags.
Modi Toys plans to shift manufacturing to India to avoid the supply-chain disruptions that its Chinese manufacturers experienced during the pandemic, and to allow it to make the toys entirely out of recycle materials, something it couldn't do in China.
Viral Modi quit his consulting job two years ago to focus on the toy business.
The pivot to India also opens up Modi Toys to more potential controversy. It was the subject of critical feedback after being featured on Humans of Bombay's social media pages by users concerned that toys made in the likeness of Hindu gods could be disrespected by children.
Modi Toys stayed out of the online debate, but fans rallied to the company's defense, arguing their kids have a greater appreciation of religion thanks to its products. Viral Modi says his and Avani's 4-year-old daughters have been taught to treat their plush toy deities with care.
"They call it 'Jai Jai,'" he says, referring to a phrase used by Hindus to greet the gods. "They fold their hands. They hug them."
Modi Toys is going after a niche piece of the global toy industry, which is worth $95 billion, according to the Toy Association Inc., a U.S. trade organization. The siblings, who sell the toys online and in temple gift shops in the U.S., are working to get their merchandise in brick-and-mortar chains that cater to Indian immigrants in America.
The company is still small, but it's growing and is profitable, the founders say. They got started with $25,000 of seed capital, and bank loans have been the only outside funding so far. Revenue rose three-fold during the pandemic and the company has sold some 40,000 items to date, they say.
The brother-sister duo work full-time at the company alongside a handful of part-time employees, contractors, and freelancers. Viral handles manufacturing, logistics, operations, and legal matters, while Avani takes care of the marketing, brand partnerships, and anything customer-facing.
Viral quit his consulting job two years ago to focus on the toy business, and Avani made the switch after being laid off from her corporate travel job late last year. "In retrospect," she says, "I think it's one of the best things to have happened to me."
Advice for entrepreneurs from the founders of Modi Toys:
Go slow and steady: "There is so much coming at you when you first start out because you realize there's so much you can do. I can go into retail, I can go into trade shows, I can approach this person, that person. And it can become really overwhelming," says Avani. Neither of the co-founders had a toy background and had to learn on the job.
Don't compare your Chapter 1 with someone else's Chapter 10: "What's meant for you will come to you. You've got to have the patience but obviously have a plan and a vision behind it," Avani says.
Consider customer requests: "There are definitely some good ideas that come in that help us with our product development," Avani says. Modi Toys now offers a Bluetooth speaker for its plush toys, at the request of customers who wanted to play recordings to their children, including voice messages from deceased family members.