Future Millionaires in the Making? How Indian Kids Are Mastering Finance in School Today!

Personal Finance

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Updated on 13 Nov 2025, 06:53 am

Indian households are seeing a new trend where children as young as nine and eleven are learning fundamental financial concepts in school. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has introduced a financial literacy curriculum for students from the sixth standard onwards, covering topics like needs versus wants, interest, inflation, budgeting, and various investment options.

This educational push is supported by several edtech companies, including BrightChamps, Beyond Skool, and Finstart. These firms are transforming financial education into interactive games and structured curricula, often incorporating stock market simulators, virtual investments in bonds and mutual funds, and even mock start-up ventures. This approach enhances children's decision-making abilities by making learning engaging and practical.

This early exposure to financial concepts is profoundly impacting children's behavior. Many are transitioning from impulsive spenders to mindful savers. Stories abound of children understanding concepts like EMIs and deciding to save for larger purchases instead of impulse buys. This early start is also demystifying the power of compounding, encouraging children to think long-term about wealth creation.

Impact: This trend will foster a generation of financially literate individuals in India, potentially leading to higher savings rates, more informed investment decisions, and a positive long-term impact on the nation's economic growth and consumer market. Rating: 8/10

Difficult Terms: * Inflation: A general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money. It means your money buys less than it used to. * Budgeting: Planning how to spend your money. It involves deciding how much money you will spend on different things over a certain period. * Investment: Using money to make more money. This could be by buying stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or property, with the expectation of future income or capital appreciation. * Edtech: Stands for Educational Technology. It refers to technology used to facilitate learning, often through online platforms, apps, and digital resources. * Cryptocurrency: A digital or virtual currency that is secured by cryptography, making it nearly impossible to counterfeit or double-spend. Many cryptocurrencies are decentralized networks based on blockchain technology. * Deep Fake: A type of synthetic media where a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness, often created using AI, which can be used to spread misinformation or commit fraud. * EMIs (Equated Monthly Installments): A fixed amount paid by a borrower to a lender on a specified date each month. EMIs are used to repay loans, including those for homes, cars, and personal loans. * Compounding: The process of earning interest on both the initial principal amount and the accumulated interest from previous periods. It's often called "interest on interest" and is a key driver of long-term wealth growth.