Vaishali Wasad graduated in Comp Sci. from RCOEM, Nagpur. She worked as a Systems Engineer in Infosys for a year. She is very inspired by her sister. She is her benchmark. She looks up to her and always tries to be like her. She also loves to dance and paint, even though she is very bad at it.
What was high school like for you? How did it contribute to your personality/ the person you are right now?
High school was fun. Taught me how to pursue my dreams. Taught me it's very important to be involved in sports and extra-curricular activities along with studies. Being a bookworm doesn't always help.
If money was no object, what would you do all day?
If money was no object, I would spend the day riding a fighter jet.
What advice would you give to a 5-year-younger you?
Talent is overrated. If you don't add hard-work, patience, courage to the mix, your talent is useless. Listen to your family, they are always right and want only the best for you. Don’t worry too much, things will fall into place in due time.
How do you think women are better equipped to deal with problems as compared to men?
Women are better equipped to divide their attention among multiple activities or tasks. Women are better able to organise their time. We also a higher Emotional Quotient than men. All the qualities help us deal with problems in a better way.
Many IIMs and other b-schools award extra points for being a woman. What is your take on that? Do you propagate the concept OR Have you faced any backlash for the same?
Women are leaders everywhere you look: from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to the housewife who raises her children and heads households. Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes. I don't think we need extra points for being us. We believe in ourselves and that's all we need.
Name one incident that you encountered where someone told you, you couldn’t do something because you’re a woman.
I am blessed to be surrounded by people who are very positive and they believe in me, be it family, friends, etc. My father is my pillar of strength. He has always treated me and my brother equally. He is the one because of whom I know that nothing is impossible and all you need is courage to achieve anything in life.
If you are out on a date, do you prefer to pay yourself? If you insisted that you want to pay for yourself, how did the other person react?
Yes. I prefer to pay for myself.