Ambition versus Biology

Elective egg freezing once largely a medical necessity-has gradually transformed into a planned step in long-term career and life strategy

- NEETU CHANDRA SHARMA

WHEN ENTREPRENEUR UPASANA Kamineni Konidela recently told students of IIT Hyderabad that those focused on their careers should consider freezing their eggs, the remark moved far beyond the auditorium almost immediately. Hours later, as reactions surged online, she posted on social media platform X that she was “happy to spark a healthy debate”. What followed was a sharp split. Some praised the comment as pragmatic advice for a generation balancing demanding careers, while others felt it reduced a deeply personal decision to a single suggestion.

WHAT WOMEN WANT

Across India’s metropolitan cities, this tension is driving an ever more visible cohort of high-achieving women into fertility clinics. According to doctors, once largely a medical necessity—before chemotherapy or after a diagnosis—has gradually transformed into a planned step in long-term career and life strategy.

The number of women choosing to freeze their eggs for non-medical reasons has risen steadily over the past decade and sharply in the last five years. The Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction (ISAR) reports that the number of women undergoing elective egg freezing has increased by 20% to 25% annually over the last five years.

For many, the decision is not about delaying motherhood; it is about managing collision points. Travel-heavy careers, global roles, long working hours and late-stage promotions often peak at the very age when fertility begins to decline.