Kids Ditch Screens for Books: 100+ Dive into Quiet Reading Bliss at Mumbai Event

Picture this: more than 100 kids, ages 5 to 14, gathered in Mumbai’s World Trade Center at Kidz World Expo, phones forgotten, noses buried in books. It was all part of neOwn’s ‘READ with neOwn’ event for World Book Day—a simple, shared silent reading session that proved books still hold serious magic.

neOwn, India’s pioneering app-based book rental service for children, pulled this off with parents in tow. They turned a busy expo space into a calm reading haven. Kids brought their own books and just… read. No distractions, just focus and imagination flowing freely.

Kranti Gada, neOwn’s founder, put it perfectly: “People think kids are ditching books these days. But give them the right spot and a group to share it with, and they light up. This showed how reading fires up young minds.”

She added that parents crave ways to help kids unplug and dive deep. Events like this make reading feel special and doable.

The fun didn’t stop there. Young authors from BriBooks chatted with the kids, spilling stories of their writing paths and showing off their books. It sparked real inspiration—proof that anyone can start creating tales young.

Every child also signed the Million Readers Movement pledge, neOwn’s push to get one million people (kids and grown-ups) reading regularly and spreading the habit. It ties right into their goal of turning reading into something everyone sees and joins in on.

This hit at the perfect time, with everyone talking about screen overload for kids. neOwn offered a chill counter: community, quiet, and books.

Through subscriptions, challenges, workshops, and a parent network, they already reach 10,000+ families in over 340 cities. Bringing it public on World Book Day? Smart move to remind us all: nurture it right, and kids will always pick up a book.