Kerala's Kaziah Liz Mejo has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026, marking a major milestone in the 19-year-old law student and model's pageant journey. She won the national title at the grand finale held at Zee Studios in Jaipur on August 23, emerging from a field of 52 finalists.
With the victory, Kaziah will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe competition, which will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 24, 2026.
The international pageant will mark the competition's 75th anniversary and is expected to bring together delegates from around 130 nations.
Kaziah Liz Mejo Takes The Crown
Kaziah, who hails from Mavelikkara in Kerala, is currently pursuing law while also working as a model. Her latest achievement adds another major title to a pageant career that began several years ago.
Before entering the Miss Universe India competition, Kaziah represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as the first runner-up. She had earlier won the Miss Teen Diva title, establishing herself as one of India's emerging young pageant contestants.
Speaking about her journey earlier this year, Kaziah said that becoming Miss Universe had been her ambition since she was 16. She also credited her experience at Miss Teen International with helping prepare her for the next stage of her career.
Runners-Up And Top 5
Vaishnavi Ganesh from Tamil Nadu finished as the first runner-up and also earned the Miss International India 2026 title.
Anushri Satavlekar from Gujarat was named the second runner-up. The Top 5 also included Tejaswini Shrivastava from Maharashtra and Anubha Vashisth from Uttarakhand.
The 52 finalists had progressed through several stages of the competition before reaching the Jaipur finale. Earlier rounds included the sashing ceremony, introduction and speech segments, gala events and a swimsuit round. The swimsuit competition was held at Wonderla as part of the contestants' preparation and evaluation.
The Jury Panel
The finale featured an experienced jury led by Sushmita Sen, who made history as India's first Miss Universe in 1994.
The judging panel also included former titleholders Celina Jaitly, Miss Universe India 2001, and Urvashi Rautela, Miss Universe India 2015.
Other members included Miss Universe India 2024 Rhea Singha, producer Pragya Kapoor, entrepreneur Vishal Ladhia, Miss Charm 2025 Anna Blanco and dermatologist Dr Stuti Khare Shukla.
From Thousands Of Aspirants To 52 Finalists
The 2026 edition brought together contestants from across India following a selection process involving regional and state-level pageants, auditions, wildcard entries and an NRI category.
The final 52 contestants then underwent multiple evaluation rounds before arriving in Jaipur for the grand finale. The competition was designed to assess contestants beyond appearance, with public speaking, confidence, stage presence and overall personality forming important parts of the journey.
A New Chapter For Kaziah
Kaziah's national victory comes after her previous international experience as India's representative at Miss Teen International. Her first-runner-up finish there gave her exposure to an international pageant environment, and she now returns to the global stage with the country's senior Miss Universe title.
The Glamanand Group has organised the Miss Universe India franchise since 2024. Rhea Singha won the inaugural title under the new franchise in 2024, followed by Manika Vishwakarma in 2025. Both subsequently represented India at the international Miss Universe competition.
What Comes Next For Kaziah?
Kaziah's immediate focus will shift from the national crown to preparation for the global competition. She is expected to undergo further training in areas including stage presentation, communication, interviews, styling and international pageant preparation before travelling to Puerto Rico.
The 75th Miss Universe edition will feature several major events ahead of the final. The official schedule includes a National Costume Show on November 21, the preliminary competition on November 22, and the grand finale on November 24 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan.
