One of the primary challenges faced by new parents is keeping their babies engaged, particularly as they begin to walk. It is becoming increasingly important to find ways to entertain and educate children while minimising screen exposure, and many parents in parenting groups have a common question: “How can we keep our children screen-free for as long as possible?”
S Haripriya, a mother of two, had the same query when her second child was born in 2017. She searched for open-ended toys that would both educate and entertain. In her quest, she realised that she wasn’t alone in struggling to find suitable options. To provide her then two-year-old and three-month-old with toys that would help them learn life skills, she founded Extrokids, a business “dedicated to catering extraordinary kids”, she informs.
Starting a business while caring for a three-month-old and a toddler was no easy feat for the 34-year-old. Every step presented challenges, especially with naysayers in her family who believed she should focus solely on raising her children.
Determined to achieve her goal of providing parents with essential resources for their child’s development, she persevered. She found support in her mother, who joined her a few years later and is now the face of the company.
The road was rocky, but Haripriya emphasises consistency is key. She kept at it, whether it meant waiting for a month for her first order, enduring losses, or struggling to pay salaries. Her patience and perseverance were rewarded; today, Extrokids receives over 15,000 orders per month, boasts a catalogue of over 500 toys, has nearly five lakh followers on Instagram, and has served over five lakh customers to date.
Haripriya had started the venture with just Rs 5,000 from her house in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Overcoming Challenges: Haripriya’s Path to Success
Born and raised in the “Manchester of South India”, the BSc electronics graduate tried her hand at different businesses before the birth of her second child, including selling gifts, eco-friendly napkins, and offering tutorial lessons.
The postpartum period affects every new mother differently, and for Haripriya, it gave birth to a strong desire to make a difference in people’s lives, particularly for parents.
“When I searched for educational toys and books, I couldn’t find many. My extensive research into toys that could enhance fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and overall brain development made me realise that there was a significant need for such products. As I started using these with my children, I began selling them as well,” Haripriya tells The Better India.
Initially, she sold preloved books and toys but soon realised the limitations of the former, shifting her focus to toys.
While waiting for orders, she also introduced her children to new toys. Observing the positive impact on her kids, she began adding them to her catalogue.
“Parents are busy today. They often end up using mobile phones to keep them engaged. One of my goals is to prevent screen time by offering open-ended toys and games that keep children engaged. Each game enhances a child’s skills and supports their development,” she adds.
Hailing from a jewellery manufacturing background and with a bachelors in science, e-commerce was an entirely new territory for the entrepreneur. She initially sold her products through WhatsApp and Facebook. However, as her collection grew, she found it increasingly difficult to reply to each query and send pictures manually.
“As my collection expanded to over 500 toys, I couldn’t reply to every message. I wanted to receive orders even when I slept. For that, I needed to create a website. Initially, I outsourced the project but was duped. I realised that I had to learn everything necessary to run an e-commerce business and build my website from scratch,” Haripriya says.
The website’s creation took six months, during which she lost all her customers and “came down to zero.”
A Mother’s Support: How Banu Fueled Extrokids’ Growth
It was during this challenging time, that a million-dollar idea struck Haripriya while she sat in the office with her mother, Banu.
“We didn’t even have money to pay our staff,” she shares.
She came up with the idea to post a video explaining how to play with a particular toy. The video, featuring her mother and lacking any fancy background or effects, received over 60,000 views!
“I wondered why I hadn’t thought of this before,” laughs Haripriya. The savvy business woman soon focused on creating good, authentic content that explained the benefits of each toy.
She focused on raising awareness about the benefits of using each toy and building trust with customers. It took her three years to reach a revenue of Rs 5 lakh. “You don’t need a fancy camera, equipment or photographers, content is king,” she says.
“When we broke our mental barrier regarding what people expect, our content took off. People want raw, real knowledge. We started shooting in our warehouse with toys in the background, and it worked like a charm,” she adds.
By consistently creating content, Haripriya cracked the code for success and has never looked back. Building trust is paramount, she stresses, noting that it is rule number one in establishing a successful business.
She adds that she didn’t begin paid marketing until they reached 1,50,000 followers and Rs 10 lakh in organic sales.
“In a D2C business, trust-building is most important and can happen only through organic sales in the beginning. My goal was to create a difference in people’s lives, which I was able to do,” Haripriya explains.
Today, they have nearly 5,00,000 followers on Instagram and receive over 15,000 orders a month. Their toys start from Rs 49 to Rs 8,000 and include educational toys, family games, open-ended toys, pretend play items, magnatiles, kinetic sand, and much more. Their bestsellers include puzzles, memory card games, and “Shut the Box.” Haripriya adds that most of the toys are open ended, meaning children of various age groups can play with them.
‘Have a vision and take calculated risks’
The best moment for Haripriya was when one of their videos went viral, leading to a surge in orders. They had to work until 2 AM to dispatch the orders, as they couldn’t hold them for more than two days.
Through ups and downs, losses and profits, her mother, 52-year-old Banu, has been her constant support. Today, Banu is a familiar face — the enthusiastic woman who explains the workings of toys online.
Raised in Coimbatore in a business family, Banu spent most of her life as a homemaker. While she assisted her father in his chocolate factory as a child, she remained at home after marriage. After her husband’s passing, she felt ‘restless’ and yearned to do something meaningful. Her daughter gave her the perfect opportunity to achieve that.
“I’m so proud of my daughter and her achievements. I’m happy to assist her in any small way. Our aim is to ensure that people learn about our products and use them to keep their children screen-free, engaging them in meaningful play,” says Banu.
Haripriya now dreams of establishing a marketplace for various children’s products under one roof. From waiting a month for an order to now achieving sales targets of Rs 3 lakh daily, she has come a long way.
What kept her going? “Be consistent. I was focused on my goal of helping parents, and it paid off,” she smiles.
To every aspiring entrepreneur, she has one message: “Don’t think you can learn the entire business at once. Have a vision and take calculated risks. Keep moving forward, whether faced with losses or profits. Be consistent for 90 days, and you will be rewarded,” she says.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee, Images Courtesy Haripriya
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