Edtech firms cash in on coding craze among Indian kids

New rat race emerges as parents worry about children's future in digital world

Arham Talsania cleared a certificate course in Python programming language and earned a mention in the Guinness World Records as the "youngest computer programmer" in January, a day short of turning seven.
Arham Talsania cleared a certificate course in Python programming language and earned a mention in the Guinness World Records as the "youngest computer programmer" in January, a day short of turning seven. PHOTO: OM TALSANIA
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Arham Talsania was not yet three years of age when he could tell one computer operating system from another. Soon enough, he was playing logic-based games on the computer and other gadgets that his father Om Talsania, a software engineer, would have lying around in the house in Ahmedabad.

Quick to spot his son's natural affinity for tech and problem-solving, Mr Talsania began teaching Arham basic coding concepts. All this even before the boy turned five. "It was surprising that he was able to pick up concepts at such a young age," said the proud father.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 26, 2020, with the headline Edtech firms cash in on coding craze among Indian kids. Subscribe