Upasana Konidela, Vice Chairperson of CSR at Apollo Hospitals and wife of actor Ram Charan, found herself at the receiving end of criticism from many leading medical professionals and intellectuals recently, after she shared a video of her speech at IIT Hyderabad, where she advised young women to freeze their eggs in pursuit of steady career plans. On Wednesday evening, Upasana responded to the criticism in a social media post.
Taking to her X page, Upasana penned, “I’m happy to have sparked a healthy debate & thank your for your respectful responses. Stay tuned as I voice my opinions on the pleasures/pressures of privilege - that you all have been talking about.”
The entrepreneur clarified that she got married at the age of 27 (and not 23, as it was claimed by many on social media) and froze her eggs when she was 29 ‘for personal and health reasons.’
She added, “I've always openly encouraged other women to explore their options. I welcomed my first child at 36 and am now expecting twins at 39. Throughout my journey, I have given equal importance to building my career and nurturing my marriage, because a happy, stable environment matters deeply when raising a family. For me, marriage and career are not competing priorities - they are equally meaningful parts of a fulfilled life. But I decide the timeline ! That's not privilege it's my right!”
Earlier in her speech, Upasana had said, “The biggest insurance for women is to save your eggs. Because then you can choose when to get married, when you want to have kids, on your own terms when you are financially independent. Today, I'm proudly financially independent. This security made me strong and confident to make bold decisions in my life."
Further advising young female professionals, Upasana had said, "Do things that work the best for you. Before you reach your 30s, have your goals ready, have your career path set and know how much you're going to earn at every different point in your life. If you're clear about your vision, goal and role in life, you become unstoppable.”
