Wild Republic founder receives ‘Champion of Sustainability’ award

The Champion of Sustainability is a new category at the 2023 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards, which took place Sept. 29 in New York City.

Vishnu Chandran (left), CEO of Wild Republic, and G.B. Pillai, founder of Wild Republic.

Wild Republic, an international toy company based in Independence, Ohio, has announced that its founder, G.B. Pillai, received the Champion of Sustainability award at the Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards held Sept. 29 in New York City. According to Wild Republic, the TOTY Awards is the most prestigious awards event in the toy industry, which recognizes top toys, games and licenses across 17 categories of play.

The Champion of Sustainability award is a new category for this year’s TOTY Awards and was developed to recognize an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the space. For more than 40 years, Pillai has driven the company’s commitment to nature and conservation while proactively striving to be as environmentally friendly and ethically responsible as possible. Wild Republic also offers an expansive collection of nature-related toys and gifts that foster curiosity about wildlife and educate children about the wonders of nature.

“It is a true honor to receive the Champion of Sustainability award,” says Pillai. “More than 40 years ago, my wife, Kamala, and I made it our mission to educate our children about the importance of nature, conservation and our environment. These lessons can be found in every facet of our company, from our product development to charitable giving, and I’m happy to have made this my life-long mission.”

Pillai adds that his grandson, Vishnu Chandran, is now the CEO of Wild Republic. He notes that under Chandran’s direction, the company will continue its mission in educating our youth about the importance of nature, our environment and conservation.

“There is no one more deserving of this award than my granddad,” says Chandran. “His dedication to conservation, sustainability and education about our planet is the cornerstone of our company and continues to be the driving force in everything that we do. I’m so proud of him and so proud to be able to call him my granddad as well.”