Kerala's Kaziah Liz Mejo Crowned Miss Universe India 2026; Gujarat's Anushri Satavlekar Secures Second Runner-Up
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Kaziah Liz Mejo from Kerala was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 at the grand finale held at Zee Studios in Jaipur on Sunday.
Mejo outperformed 52 finalists from across the country to secure the title and will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico this November. The reigning Miss Universe India 2025, Manika Vishwakarma, passed on the crown to her successor.
Kerala Takes the Crown
Reflecting on her victory, Mejo expressed her joy, stating she had reportedly worked towards this goal for over three years. She highlighted the significance of the moment, viewing it as an opportunity to bring the crown to Kerala and showcase her hometown on a global platform.
Discussing her journey to the crown, the 19-year-old noted that her most significant hurdle was cultivating self-belief and recognising her own worth. She acknowledged that standing on such a prominent stage at her age demanded considerable courage and confidence.
National Representation in the Top Five
The pageant saw diverse representation among its top finalists. Tamil Nadu’s Vaishnavi Gannesh was reportedly named the first runner-up and claimed the title of Miss International India 2026. Gujarat's Anushri Satavlekar secured the second runner-up position. The third and fourth runner-up spots went to Tejaswini Shrivastava from Maharashtra and Anubha Vashist Chaudhary from Uttarakhand, respectively.
Star-Studded Judging Panel
The event was judged by a distinguished panel that included India's first Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen, former Miss Universe India, Urvashi Rautela, Miss Universe India 2024, Rhea Singha, environmentalist and film producer, Pragya Kapoor; and former Miss India Universe and Miss Universe runner-up, Celina Jaitly.
Following her win, Mejo affirmed her primary objective is to bring the international Miss Universe crown back to India, pledging to represent her country and her home state of Kerala in all her future endeavours. She will now commence preparations for the upcoming international pageant in Puerto Rico.
