Upasana Konidela, granddaughter of Apollo chairman, accepts she witnessed patriarchy at home, says it was nipped in the bud: ‘The women asked for their share’

Founded by Prathap C Reddy, Apollo Hospitals is India’s largest hospital chain. The four daughters of Reddy — Preetha Reddy, Suneeta Reddy, Shobana Kamineni, and Sangita Reddy — play key roles in the management. Upasana is his granddaughter.

Upasana talked about the challenges she faces as a woman in the corporate world. “They know your weakness and they play to your weaknesses. That’s why I never go to a meeting without prepping. I know I need to brush my skills up with those one-two extra things also and that gives me the confidence so no one can break me,” she said.

Interestingly, it wasn’t her bosses who doubted her capabilities—it was people who worked under her. “It could be people working for you. It doesn’t have to be your boss. I have felt it from people who report to me also. They have thought that I am clueless and I did feel it but I never let it bother me. My weapon is knowledge, so getting more subject matter information is my biggest weapon,” she said.

To stay sharp and handle prejudice, Upasana constantly works on self-improvement. Sharing her approach, she said, “I spend three months in a year to re-educate myself. It can be through courses and I read a lot. I also browse a lot of social media, it keeps me relevant and makes me learn so much.”

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