‘Why did you send a girl to Africa?’: Vasundhara Oswal on surviving Uganda kidnapping, boardroom sexism

Surviving an illegal detention in Uganda two years ago was harrowing enough, but for billionaire heiress Vasundhara Oswal, Executive Director of PRO Industries, the public's reaction to her imprisonment revealed a deeply entrenched, systemic issue.

When news broke that she was being held on fabricated charges, one of the first questions directed at her parents was not about her safety, but her gender: “Why did you send a girl to Africa?”

“Is that the first comment you say to someone who has just been illegally kidnapped?” Vasundhara recalled in an exclusive conversation with LiveMint. “Why was my gender spoken about? It could have happened to anyone.”

‘Male executives talk over me’

The prejudice Vasundhara faces isn't limited to physical danger in African markets; it is equally prevalent in the corporate boardrooms of Europe. For young female executives, establishing authority often requires aggressive boundary-setting.

“Sometimes male executives talk over me. I've developed a habit of talking over them before they start talking over me,” Vasundhara admitted frankly. “I tell them, 'Let me finish first, you're going to get your chance.'”

This dynamic extends beyond verbal interruptions to structural insubordination.

Vasundhara detailed how male employees frequently attempt to bypass the female leadership team—including her younger sister, Ridi—to deal directly with their father, Pankaj Oswal.

“When it comes to reporting mechanisms, if someone is supposed to report to Ridi, sometimes they will try to bypass her and go directly to the chairman,” she said.

Fortunately, the family maintains a unified front. “There is a mechanism you have to follow. We are so happy to have a father who tells them, 'You're not meant to come to me, you're meant to go to her. You're talking to the wrong person.'”

Redefining ‘weakness’ as a leadership asset

The most pervasive misconception the Oswal sisters had to battle is the idea that women lack the ruthlessness required to succeed in heavy industry. However, they argued that the very traits often labelled as "weaknesses" in women—emotional intelligence and empathy—are actually critical assets in diverse, global business environments.

“I have definitely felt the differences in my career being a female... The biggest underestimation of women is that we are considered too emotional, weak, or timid,” Vasundhara reflected.

“Those are actually benefits. In a diverse business environment, you need people who understand how others operate and who bring emotional and intellectual dimensions. It can't just be ‘shoot at sight’,” Ridi added.

‘Targeting anyone with the last name Oswal’

Ridi Oswal, who was in college when her sister was initially detained, said she went back to Uganda alone “for the plant after no one had been there... It was still very scary.”

“There were threats of people saying, 'Now we'll pick up the younger daughter.' They were targeting basically anyone with the last name Oswal,” Ridi added.

The Oswal sisters, who have been vocal about the xenophobia and racism they've experienced in Switzerland, claimed that the primary catalyst for Vasundhara's imprisonment in Uganda was not just local corruption, but a coordinated effort stemming from Switzerland.

“There was a hand from Switzerland in my illegal arrest, and that is something we are working to expose in the upcoming weeks,” Vasundhara told LiveMint. “They tried to hide it. Being Swiss and acting 'neutral'—I think neutral really means ‘I'm not going to take the blame.’ Nobody can be truly neutral.”

Vasundhara said her family has spent the past two years digging into the circumstances surrounding her detention, uncovering a complex web of corporate sabotage that bridges European wealth hubs and African manufacturing sites.

Despite the ongoing threats, the Oswal sisters said they remain fiercely committed to publicly exposing the actors involved.

“It's important to still call it out,” they warned. “If we don't stand up and speak widely about it, it will happen to everyone. We are not ones to back down. If you're going to hit us, let's make it public.”