The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has imposed a penalty of ₹8 lakh on Raising Superstars Enterprises Pvt Ltd for disseminating misleading advertisements concerning its “Prodigy Framework Program.”
The authority found that the company promoted claims suggesting that infants enrolled in its program could crawl at three months, walk at eight months, and develop a vocabulary of 200 words by 18 months. The CCPA held that such representations were not supported by scientific evidence and amounted to misleading advertisements in violation of consumer protection norms.
Directions Issued by CCPA
By an order dated February 25, a Bench comprising Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra directed the company to immediately cease and desist from publishing or circulating the impugned claims or any similar unverified representations.
The Bench further directed compliance with the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, including ensuring proper disclosures and maintaining an effective grievance redressal mechanism on its platform.
Proceedings Initiated on ASCI Reference
The proceedings originated in 2022 following a reference by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), which flagged the claims made on the company’s website.
Upon preliminary examination, the CCPA issued a show cause notice to the company, observing that infant development does not follow a uniform pattern and varies significantly between individuals.
Company’s Response and Investigation Findings
In response, Raising Superstars asserted that its claims were based on scientific literature and expert inputs. It also stated that the impugned claims had been removed from its website in September 2021 and replaced with disclaimers clarifying that outcomes are not guaranteed and may vary among children.
The company described itself as an omni-channel platform offering screen-free developmental activities, coaching support, and parent communities for children aged 0–6 years. It claimed a customer base exceeding 1.32 lakh globally, including more than 1.15 lakh users in India, along with over 3 lakh app downloads.
Following a detailed investigation, the Director General of the CCPA, in November 2025, concluded that the claims constituted misleading advertisements as they lacked scientific substantiation and were largely based on subjective parental feedback.
The investigation also revealed that the company initially failed to furnish complete details of its grievance officer, thereby violating mandatory disclosure requirements under e-commerce regulations.
Findings of the Authority
The CCPA held that the dissemination of unverified claims, coupled with inadequate grievance redressal information, resulted in a serious infringement of consumer rights by depriving consumers of accurate and evidence-based information.
Based on these findings, the authority imposed a penalty of ₹8 lakh and issued directions to ensure strict compliance with applicable legal provisions.
