Who is Kaziah Liz Mejo? Meet Miss Universe India 2026 winner from Kerala
Kaziah Liz Mejo, 19, from Kerala wins Miss Universe India 2026 and will represent India at the Miss Universe 2026 pageant in Puerto Rico.
Kaziah Liz Mejo has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026 after winning the national pageant at a grand finale in Jaipur on Sunday, August 23. The 19-year-old emerged as the winner among 52 finalists and earned the opportunity to represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant, which will be held in Puerto Rico in November.
Hailing from Mavelikkara in Kerala, Kaziah has already made her mark in the pageant world. She is a law student and model who represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as the first runner-up.
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Kaziah Liz Mejo is a young model and law student from Kerala with experience on international pageant platforms. Her journey has now reached a major milestone with her Miss Universe India 2026 victory.
With her national title, Kaziah will carry India’s hopes on the global stage. Speaking about her plans, she said her biggest goal is to bring the Miss Universe crown home to India. She also expressed her wish to proudly represent Kerala and showcase what being Indian means to her.
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Meet The Other WinnersThe competition also saw several other contestants make their mark. Vaishnavi Gannesh from Tamil Nadu was named the first runner-up and also won the Miss International India 2026 title. Anushri Satavlekar from Gujarat secured the second runner-up position.
Tejaswini Shrivastava was declared the third runner-up, while Anubha Vashist Chaudhary finished as the fourth runner-up.
Sushmita Sen Led The JuryThe grand finale featured a star-studded judging panel led by Sushmita Sen, who made history by becoming India’s first Miss Universe in 1994. Former Miss Universe India winners Celina Jaitly and Urvashi Rautela were also part of the jury.
The panel further included Miss Universe India 2024 Rhea Singha, film producer Pragya Kapoor, entrepreneur Visha Ladhia, Miss Charm 2025 Anna Blanco and dermatologist Dr Stuti Khare Shukla.
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How The Finalists Were Selected?The journey to the finale involved months of auditions, grooming sessions and preliminary competitions. According to 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. They competed in several rounds, including introductions, speeches, a gala event and a swimsuit competition before reaching the Jaipur finale.
What’s Next For Kaziah?Kaziah’s next challenge will be the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico in November. With her experience, confidence and clear ambition, the young beauty queen will now aim to take India’s name even higher on the international stage.