Kaziah Liz Mejo crowned Miss Universe India 2026: Know everything from her Kerala roots to national title
Kaziah Liz Mejo, from Mavelikkara in Kerala, was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 on August 23 at the grand finale in Jaipur. She won the national title after competing against 52 finalists.
A law student and model, Kaziah has already represented India at an international pageant. She participated in Miss Teen International in 2025, where she finished as the first runner-up.
Her latest win marks another step in her pageant journey as she prepares to represent India on the global Miss Universe stage later this year.
Who were the runners-up?
Vaishnavi Gannesh from Tamil Nadu was named the first runner-up and also won the Miss International India 2026 title. Anushri Satavlekar from Gujarat finished as the second runner-up.
The finalists had gone through several rounds and events before the grand finale in Jaipur, including introduction and speech rounds, a gala event and a swimsuit competition.
Who were the judges?
The 2026 Miss Universe India finale featured a jury headed by Sushmita Sen, who became the first Indian to win the Miss Universe title in 1994.
The judging panel also included former Miss Universe India titleholders Celina Jaitly and Urvashi Rautela, along with Rhea Singha, who won the title in 2024.
Film producer Pragya Kapoor, entrepreneur Visha Ladhia, Miss Charm 2025 Anna Blanco and dermatologist Dr Stuti Khare Shukla were also part of the jury.
How were the Miss Universe India 2026 finalists selected?
The finale took place at Zee Studios in Jaipur following months of auditions and preliminary events. According to the organisers, around 8,000 to 9,000 aspirants were considered for the 2026 edition.
The final 52 contestants were selected through state-level pageants, auditions, wildcard entries and an NRI category.
The contestants took part in a series of events and preliminary rounds before reaching the final stage of the competition.
When will Kaziah represent India at Miss Universe?
Following her national win, Kaziah will represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant, which is scheduled to be held in Puerto Rico in November 2026.
She will compete against contestants from across the world for the international crown. Before the pageant, Kaziah is expected to undergo further training and preparation as she gets ready for the global competition.
About Miss Universe India
Miss Universe India is the national pageant that selects India’s representative for the Miss Universe competition. The Glamanand Group has been organising the pageant since taking over the Indian franchise in 2024.
Rhea Singha won the first edition under the new franchise in 2024, followed by Manika Vishwakarma in 2025. Both represented India at the international Miss Universe pageant.
With Kaziah Liz Mejo now holding the national title, she will be the next Indian contestant to take the Miss Universe India crown to the global stage.
