JAIPUR: Kaziah Liz Mejo of Kerala was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 at the grand finale of the national pageant held at Zee Studios here on Sunday, edging out 51 other contestants to win the country’s representation at the 75th Miss Universe pageant scheduled in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November 2026. The crown was placed on her by outgoing titleholder Manika Vishwakarma, Miss Universe India 2025.
The result marks the third edition of the Miss Universe India pageant under the Glamanand Group, which acquired the country’s Miss Universe franchise in 2024. Vaishnavi Gannesh of Tamil Nadu was named first runner-up and awarded the Miss International India 2026 title, while Anushri Satavlekar of Gujarat finished second runner-up, according to the organisers.
Who is Kaziah Liz Mejo
Mejo, from Mavelikkara in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, is a law student who spent much of her childhood in Abu Dhabi, according to a report by the Free Press Journal. She had earlier represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, finishing as first runner-up, before winning the Miss Universe Kerala title en route to Sunday’s national crown.
The final round required each of the top five contestants to deliver a 40-second closing statement before the jury, according to a report published by Pune Pulse. The final five also included Tejaswini Shrivastava of Maharashtra, placed third runner-up, and Anubha Vashist Chaudhary of Uttarakhand, placed fourth runner-up.
