Kaziah Liz Mejo, a 19-year-old law student and model from Kerala, has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026, securing the national title at the grand finale held at Zee Studios in Jaipur on August 23. She will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico in November 2026.
Key Highlights:
- Kaziah Liz Mejo wins Miss Universe India 2026 in Jaipur
- Vaishnavi Gannesh becomes first runner-up and Miss International India 2026
- Kaziah will represent India at Miss Universe 2026 in Puerto Rico
Kaziah, who hails from Mavelikkara in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, emerged victorious among 52 finalists following a selection process that began with around 8,000–9,000 aspirants. The finalists were shortlisted through state pageants, auditions, wildcard entries and an NRI category.
Vaishnavi Gannesh from Tamil Nadu was named first runner-up and also received the Miss International India 2026 title, while Anushri Satavlekar from Gujarat finished as second runner-up. Outgoing titleholder Manika Vishwakarma, who represented India at Miss Universe 2025, crowned Kaziah as her successor.
Kaziah’s victory marks another milestone in a pageant journey that began in 2024, when she won the Miss Teen Diva title. She represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, finishing as first runner-up. Earlier in 2026, she won Miss Universe Kerala before claiming the national crown.
The law student spent part of her childhood and education in Abu Dhabi, attending schools including Emirates National School, St Joseph’s School and Abu Dhabi Indian School. She began classical dance training in the UAE capital in 2012 and later returned to India to pursue her law studies in Bengaluru. She is currently based in Kochi.
Kaziah has also spoken openly about her experiences with body image and self-confidence, including the impact of social media filters and unrealistic beauty expectations. She has described overcoming those insecurities as one of her most significant personal achievements.
The finale featured a prominent jury headed by Sushmita Sen, who became India’s first Miss Universe in 1994. The panel included former titleholders Celina Jaitly, Urvashi Rautela and Rhea Singha, alongside film producer Pragya Kapoor, entrepreneur Visha Ladhia, Miss Charm 2025 Anna Blanco and dermatologist Dr Stuti Khare Shukla.
Kaziah’s win also brings greater visibility to regional representation in Indian pageantry, particularly for talent emerging from Kerala and other non-metro regions. Her progression from a teen pageant winner to the national title reflects the growing visibility of younger contestants and diverse talent pipelines.
Following her victory, Kaziah will undergo further preparation in fitness, styling and public speaking before travelling to Puerto Rico for the international competition. She will compete against contestants from across the world for the Miss Universe crown.
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