The Instagram account of Raising Superstars, run by Mumbai couple Shraddha and Raghav Himatsingka, is scattered with short, snappy videos of infants scooping up uncooked rice grains, plucking leaves off stems and getting their hands dirty with edible goop. While it might appear to be simple, messy baby play, there's more, says the couple. The cache of activities has been designed to encourage learning and help toddlers use all their senses to explore ideas that might be too abstract without tactile assistance.

The Himatsingkas are the founders of The Prodigy Baby, an online programme of engaging exercises that they claim help "unlock a baby's hidden genius". Designed for children between the age of three and 24 months, it includes a three-month plan that covers athleticism, math, reading, knowledge, memory, language development, logic, creativity, music, personality and character development. Here, the parent is expected to invest 30-45 minutes of time once a week to watch the videos, along with spending 10 minutes daily with their baby for the activities. No device or screen time is part of the plan, making this an idea they say is being attempted for the first time, globally. The couple has applied for a provisional patent for the venture.