CCPA slaps ₹8 lakh penalty on startup for unproven claims of child growth, vocabulary development

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed penalty of ₹8 lakh on startup firm Raising Superstars Enterprises Pvt Ltd for misleading claims linked to its “Prodigy Framework Program”..The startup had claimed that after enrollment in the program, babies could crawl at three months, walk at eight months and develop a 200-word vocabulary by 18 months.In an order dated February 25, the Bench of Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra held that the company’s promotional claims were not supported by scientific evidence and violated consumer rights.Thus, the CCPA imposed a penalty of ₹8 lakh on the company and also directed it to cease and desist from publishing or disseminating the claims or any similar unsubstantiated advertisements in the future.In addition, the company was directed to ensure full compliance with the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, including maintaining proper disclosures and a functional grievance redressal mechanism on its platform..The case began in 2022 after a reference from the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), which flagged the claims displayed on the company’s website. After a preliminary examination, the CCPA issued a show cause notice to the company asking why action should not be taken for misleading advertisements. It had observed that infant development varies significantly and does not follow a uniform trajectory..In response, Raising Superstars said its content was supported by scientific literature and expert review. However, it also told the regulator that the claims had been removed from its website in September 2021 and replaced with disclaimers clarifying that results are not guaranteed and may vary from child to child.The company described itself as an omni-channel platform offering screen-free activities, coaching support and parent communities for children aged 0-6 years. It claimed that it has more than1.32 lakh customers globally, including over 1.15 lakh in India, and more than 3 lakh app downloads..Following an investigation, Director General of CCPA in November 2025 concluded that the company’s claims amounted to misleading advertisements since they were not supported by scientific evidence and relied primarily on variable parental feedback.The investigation also found that the company initially failed to provide complete grievance officer contact details, thus violating e-commerce disclosure rules. The misleading claims and absence of clear grievance redressal access amounted to a gross violation of consumer rights, as consumers were not provided accurate, evidence-based information, the probe concluded.These findings led to imposition of the penalty on the company..[Read Order].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.