what sparked the idea?
We haven't lived in India for almost two decades now. But it's still home. We visit 3-4 times a year and maintain deep cultural ties with friends and family, through a shared history, language and customs. Our roots were something we took for granted ... until we had kids.
We're North Indian. Our three-year-old understands a bit of Hindi. And Diljit Dosanjh in Punjabi. Does she speak either language? NEVER!
We tried so hard. But every time we engaged with Hindi books, rhymes or even games, we time-travelled back to the 1920s. Everything felt dated, a bit tacky, and very often utterly irrelevant to our daily lives.
Seriously, when was the last time you used ‘gyaani’ in conversation??? Who even says ‘aushadhi’ ??? And the stories have some truly interesting plot twists that may not always reflect today's societal norms.
So, we dug into the science
science talk #1
Many of us unknowingly choose to introduce our home language shortly after after Year 1. Why does that choice matter?
Here is what happens in that formative first year. Lots of parents talk to each other and the doctor, nanny, or teacher in English. The music in cabs and cafes is a different language. The earliest crib flashcards, nursery wall art, and toddler blocks are probably English letters too.
So, diaspora kids discover English (likely!) through this daily osmosis,
making them instinctively think in ... English.
Kids growing up in Delhi or Patna express themselves so easily in Hindi (or even in English) because it’s all around them. All. The. Time.
But when you live in New York, London, Sydney, or Singapore? Hindi is on Saturday mornings with a tutor in a building half an hour away
-- and often taking away from exciting football or dance practice. Total chore!
Plus. By age 3-4 and beyond, the brain needs to be rewired to achieve native fluency in a second language. The most effective way is through high-intensity immersion programs, i.e., spending 50% of class time, kindergarten onwards, in a dual-language program. Probably hard for most diaspora families to achieve!!
how we solve with Moli.Boli
We're enabling Simultaneous Bilingualism by recrafting those early steps of language discovery -- images, words, objects, and physical experiences -- in Indian languages.
We're creating physical intimacy with our languages through imagery and experiences to cocoon kids in the first 18 months. Small nudges at home, in the car, and at bedtime to help instinctive absorption.
Science calls this an ‘acquisition environment’. We call it ‘cultural osmosis.’
science talk #2
Many Indian language learning systems use outdated vocabulary and teaching methods. The imagery, objects, and words are sometimes worlds away from our daily lives—especially if we live outside India.
Play-based learning is perhaps the most critical way to help children naturally build language skills. Not everyone learns the same way; play-based learning lets kids choose approaches that suit their preferences -- be that visual, auditory, tactile, or kinaesthetic. They can explore and understand their environment and enjoy experiences without fear of failing.
But traditional language-learning methods still rely on rote learning; 1-1 or 1-few tutoring adds performance pressure and takes away the fun of experimentation.
how we solve with Moli.Boli
We're building entirely for play-based learning by bringing Indian language learning materials -- images, music, and activities -- into the 21st century circa 2025-26.
Not everything in life can - or should be - figured out with an iPad or AI. We're making an intentional choice to steer away from screens, dopamine hits, and even virtual or real-life tutoring.
Instead, we're seeding a simple, physical intimacy with our home culture and language. We're focused on play-based discovery for curious little hearts, minds and hands.
why this matters
Having studied, lived and worked across three continents, we believe a strong cultural identity will help our little ones understand where they come from. Strong roots will help them confidently shape where they want to go — on their terms
what happens next
We've got ideas, enthusiasm, and energy. We've got production blueprints and creative briefs.
What we need is your stories and dreams and experiences .
Let us know if you have time to chat. We'd love to tease out our upcoming products and get your thoughts.
If you don’t have time to get a coffee (or Zoom), the survey will be amazing help. Email works spectacularly well too!
Tell your friends. We need data points, cool ideas, good vibes and big love ❤️