Woman Entrepreneur Rooting Modern Learning in Ancient Wisdom

By: Charanya V Kumar, CEO & Founder, Chittam

Charanya V Kumar spearheads a venture focused on making cultural and spiritual learning engaging for children through thoughtfully crafted board games, card games, and activity kits. With extensive experience in India’s education and cultural ecosystem, she creates playful and meaningful ways for young minds to connect with Indic heritage.

In an inspiring interaction with Women Entrepreneurs Review, Charanya reflects on her journey from a global corporate career to building Chittam, an initiative rooted in culture, purpose, and playful learning. She discusses creativity, confidence, impact, and the vision behind her mission. We also hear her thoughts on winning the Britannia Marie Gold HerStartup Contest.

To learn more about her story, read the full article below.

You moved from a corporate career to build something rooted in Indian culture and children’s learning. What does building with purpose mean to you as a founder?

For me, building with purpose means creating something that feels deeply authentic to who I am and what I believe children in India truly need today. After spending years in global corporate roles, I realised that while technology solves many problems, it often distances children from their roots.

Building with purpose is not just about running a company, but about nurturing a movement that helps children see themselves in the stories they grow up with. It keeps me grounded, even on difficult days, because I know the work carries culture, memory, and intention.

When you started shaping this idea, how did you bring together creativity, confidence, and clarity — three things every founder tries to hold on to in the early stages?

In the beginning, everything felt like an experiment. I tried multiple formats, wondering what could make children genuinely engage with our stories. Creativity came naturally because I was deeply inspired by India’s symbols and wisdom. Confidence, however, had to be built slowly by testing ideas, talking to parents, and observing how children responded. Clarity arrived only when I realised that games were the most powerful medium to bring everything together. Each playtest helped me trust the idea more. Even when doubts showed up, I reminded myself why I had returned to India—to reconnect education with culture. That purpose helped me hold all three together.

You have beautifully blended India’s ancient wisdom with modern play. Can you share a story or moment that showed you how strongly children connect with this mission?

One of the moments that stays with me is watching a group of children play one of our early games and instantly recognise symbols and stories they had only heard from grandparents. Their excitement wasn’t just about winning a game; it was about finding familiarity and pride in something that belonged to them. I saw how naturally they absorbed complex ideas when presented through play. That day, I realised the mission was far bigger than creating products. Children weren’t seeing these stories as “lessons” but as a part of who they are. It assured me that cultural learning, when playful, feels like homecoming.

You have also shown that passion can evolve into purpose and purpose into impact. How do you define success for yourself as a founder in this space?

Success for me is when our games travel beyond homes and reach classrooms, community spaces, and eventually every child who deserves to grow up with a sense of cultural confidence. It’s not only about expanding distribution or creating new products, but about seeing impact in real interactions, children asking curious questions, teachers using our games to explain ideas, or parents rediscovering forgotten stories. I also measure success by how faithfully we uphold our mission even as we grow. If Chittam can inspire a shift in how India thinks about education and identity, that, to me, is the truest form of success.

Winning Marie HerStartup Season 2 must have been a special moment. What did that experience teach you about resilience, recognition, and the power of women-led ideas?

Winning the Britannia Marie Gold HerStartup Contest was a turning point for me, not just because I received the Rs. 10 lakh grant, but because it felt like the country was recognizing the value of cultural education through play.

The entire experience taught me resilience, especially as I balanced entrepreneurship, caregiving, and the usual credibility challenges. The recognition gave me both strength and clarity, reinforcing my belief that Chittam is not just a product company but a cultural movement growing step by step.

LAST WORD: Message for Aspiring Women Founders

I want women to know that their journey becomes truly powerful when they allow their work to reflect who they are at the core. When I started Chittam, I had no idea it would grow into over 17 products in just two and a half years and reach homes, schools, and even distributors in the UAE and UK. That happened because I stayed close to my purpose, even on difficult days. Your ideas don’t have to be loud to be meaningful—just honest. Take small steps, trust your instincts, and remember that every bit of progress counts when you’re building something that carries your voice and vision.