Flipkart Co-Founder Binny Bansal launches Money Lessons by BrightCHAMPS

On the heels of the Financial Literacy Week by RBI, Flipkart Co-Founder Binny Bansal officially launched Money Lessons by BrightCHAMPS, a graphic novel-cum-handbook for kids from 6 to 16 to learn about money. The book will also be released and distributed at the ongoing GSV-Emeritus All Eyes on India Summit in Gurgaon and is currently available on Amazon and can be accessed through the accompanying Money Lessons app on Play Store and App Store.

 The book and app are in line with BrightCHAMPS’ larger vision of helping kids become financially independent, secure, and poised for freedom even before they start earning money, instead of learning costly lessons the hard way.

Given the not very impressive number of financially literate adults worldwide, imparting crucial financial education to kids from a young age has become a necessity. Countries and governments around the world are waking up to its burning need - recently, Michigan and Florida made personal finance mandatory for high school kids, taking the total of US states that have instituted this requirement to 14.

In India too, merely 27% of the adult population is financially literate. And according to an illuminating OECD report, the average financial literacy scores in five Southeast Asian countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia) is under 13%, while barely crossing the halfway mark in the US at 57%.

Speaking of the book, BrightCHAMPS Founder & CEO, Ravi Bhushan said, “Money Lessons is the result of months of hard-work, research, and fact-checking, to ensure that kids as young as 6 can understand money-related concepts in an age-appropriate and unthreatening manner. My hope is that every kid around the world is able to access it this knowledge by way of the book, the accompanying app, or through their school.”

Reiterating this vision, Binny Bansal, Flipkart Co-Founder and an investor in BrightCHAMPS, in his foreword, said, “As parents, we all want the best for our children. For them to do well, we need to lay a solid foundation for understanding different aspects of life, including money. Whatever path they choose, they should have an excellent grasp of the different concepts involving it. Money Lessons is a wonderful book that helps kids learn essential lessons like spending, saving, investing, loans, banking, currencies, and the changing value of money in an age-appropriate and meaningful way. Every child should read this book.”

Money Lessons is a visually-rich, fun to read graphic novel, which covers topics such as the evolution of money, different kinds of money, banking, value, spending, saving, borrowing, investing, exchanges, currencies, demand, supply, and more. Complete with adventures of two aspiring teenage superheroes - Max and Ray, gripping puzzles, activities, exercises, and games, the book attempts to capture kids’ imagination and present to them practical tips, tricks and knowledge that can be applied to real life scenarios at every age. The book is also accompanied by an interactive App that encapsulates the written word, providing the kids with an immersive experience for deeper understanding and return of complex concepts. 

Bhavishya Chaurasia from FinCHAMPS, who has overseen the project said, “As a father and an entrepreneur, I know how important it is to build good money habits in our kids early on in life. I also understand that our money personalities are shaped by multiple factors such as personal histories, our financial background, literacy levels, gender and more. This book is an attempt to nudge every kid in the world towards taking the “right” money decision, which is the most appropriate for them.”

Praise for Money Lessons

"Teaching kids about money is a key step not just in ensuring their progress, but the country’s progress as well. I welcome this Money Lessons book and app initiative by BrightCHAMPS for this reason.”

~ Akarsh Hebbar, President, Vedanta

“To my mind, true independence comes when you are self-reliant, and teaching young kids about money-related concepts is a critical first step in ensuring that they grow into financially-independent adults. Money Lessons is able to achieve this seamlessly with its captivating storytelling, engaging activities and helpful tips.”

~ Pankaj Kankar, CTO, Ajio

“I’m glad that we’re learning from the past and speaking more openly about money to kids so they don’t repeat our mistakes. Money Lessons by BrightCHAMPS is a great start for young kids to learn  important lifelong lessons”

~Ruchita Dar Shah, Founder, First Moms Club

"An enlightening, valuable book for children to get started on their journey to financial freedom!"

~Moya Caddy, Founder, Super Mums of India