Kerala Law Student Kaziah Liz Mejo Crowned Miss Universe India 2026
Nineteen-year-old law student and model Kaziah Liz Mejo from Kerala was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 at the national finale held at Zee Studios in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on August 23, 2026. Mejo emerged victorious from a field of 53 contestants, becoming the youngest contender in this year's edition and the first representative from Kerala to win the independent national title.
With this victory, Mejo succeeds Miss Universe India 2025 Manika Vishwakarma and will represent the nation at the 75th Miss Universe pageant scheduled to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November 2026.
The finale featured an extensive evaluation process that included a 20-question written assessment on modern Indian identity, climate action, and gender equality. In the final Q&A round, Mejo secured the crown following her response to a question regarding the "sound of silence" asked by Rajiv K. Shrivastava of the Glamanand Group. Describing silence as the sense of calm experienced right before stepping onto a stage, she remarked, "To me, that is silence—when you feel at home, when your heart lets you take a deeper breath, when your pulse comes down, and you know that you belong."
The jury presiding over the competition featured former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen alongside past national titleholders Urvashi Rautela, Celina Jaitly, and Rhea Singha. Tamil Nadu's Vaishnavi Gannesh finished as first runner-up, while Gujarat's Anushri Satavlekar placed second runner-up and received the Miss International India 2026 title.
Hailing from Mavelikkara in Kerala's Alappuzha district, Mejo grew up in Abu Dhabi, UAE, attending the Emirates National School and Abu Dhabi Indian School before pursuing her law degree. Trained in classical dance for 12 years, she previously won Miss Teen Diva 2024, finished as first runner-up at Miss Teen International 2025, and held the Miss Universe Kerala 2026 title.
Speaking to press representatives following her coronation, Mejo stated that her primary focus is preparing for the global competition in Puerto Rico while balancing her academic commitments and advocating for youth perspectives on international platforms.