Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu counters Upasana Konidela’s egg-freezing message, urges young entrepreneurs to start families early

A video of entrepreneur Upasana Kamineni Konidela addressing students at IIT Hyderabad has sparked a wide discussion online after she described egg freezing as the “biggest insurance for women”. Konidela, who is married to Telugu actor Ram Charan, emphasised the importance of financial independence and said it had enabled her to make major life choices on her own terms.

In the viral clip circulating on social media, she told students that freezing their eggs allows women to decide when to marry and when to have children once they are financially secure. Konidela, who is expecting her second child, has previously spoken about her own experience with egg freezing. She said her financial independence made her “strong and confident” to take bold decisions in her personal life.

Her comments ignited debate on X, with users divided between supporting her message and criticising it.

Among those who publicly disagreed was Zoho founder and former CEO Sridhar Vembu. Responding to the video, he said he regularly advises young entrepreneurs — both men and women — to get married and have children in their 20s. He argued that they have a “demographic duty to society and their own ancestors”, noting that his views might seem old-fashioned but he believes they will “resonate again”.

Vembu’s post added further momentum to the discussion, drawing attention to contrasting ideas around personal choice, family planning and societal expectations.

Upasana Konidela and Ram Charan announced last month that they are expecting their second child. The couple shared a video from her baby shower, attended by Chiranjeevi and Surekha, during Diwali festivities. Their first child, daughter Klin Kaara, was born in 2023