Miss Universe India 2026 Winner: Kerala's Kaziah Liz Mejo Wins Crown; Check Runner-Ups and Prize Money

Kerala's Kaziah Liz Mejo who is a 19-year-old law student from Mavelikkara, has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026 after winning the national pageant in Jaipur on Sunday, August 23.

Kaziah won the grand finale held at Zee Studios in Jaipur, where she competed against 52 finalists from across the country. With the win, she will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant, scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico in November 2026.

Miss Universe India 2026 Runner-Ups

While Kaziah took the national crown, Vaishnavi Gannesh from Tamil Nadu was named the first runner-up. She was also crowned Miss International India 2026. Anushri Satavlekar from Gujarat finished as the second runner-up, while Tejaswini Shrivastava from Maharashtra secured the third runner-up position. Anubha Vashisth Chaudhary from Uttarakhand was named the fourth runner-up.

What Does Kaziah Liz Mejo Win?

The biggest reward for Kaziah is the Miss Universe India 2026 crown and the opportunity to represent India at the international Miss Universe competition.

Following her national victory, she will now begin preparations for the global pageant in Puerto Rico in November.
There has been considerable speculation online about the Miss Universe India 2026 prize money. However, no officially confirmed cash prize figure for this year's national title has been publicly established in the reports available so far.

Miss Universe History In India

She will represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico in November 2026. India has a strong history at the international Miss Universe competition. Sushmita Sen won the title in 1994, Lara Dutta in 2000 and Harnaaz Sandhu in 2021.

For Kaziah, the win marks the latest chapter in a pageant journey that began several years ago.

At just 19, she has already competed internationally, built experience on the pageant circuit and balanced her modelling career with law studies.

Her Miss Universe India 2026 victory now gives her the biggest platform of her career so far.