The 19 year old law student and model will represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico
Kaziah Liz Mejo, a 19 year old from Kerala who grew up in the UAE, has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026 following the national finale in Jaipur on August 23.
The young law student and model emerged victorious from a field of 53 contestants at the grand finale held at Zee Studios. She was crowned by Miss Universe India 2025 Manika Vishwakarma.
With the national title, Kaziah will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant, scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico in November 2026.
From Abu Dhabi to the National Stage
Kaziah is from Mavelikkara in Kerala’s Alappuzha district and spent much of her childhood in Abu Dhabi. Her years in the UAE played an important role in her upbringing before she continued her academic and professional journey in India.
Currently pursuing a law degree in Bengaluru, Kaziah has also built experience as a model and pageant contestant. Her journey in pageantry began at a young age and has since taken her to national and international competitions.
Her earlier achievements include winning the Miss Teen Diva 2024 title. She later represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as the first runner-up.
A Background in Dance, Music and Acting
Kaziah’s interests extend beyond modelling and pageantry. She has trained in classical dance for around 12 years and has developed skills in music as well.
She sings and plays musical instruments including the drums and violin. She has also explored acting and appeared in the Malayalam film Shylock.
Her experience across different creative fields has contributed to her stage presence and public-speaking abilities, which have become important parts of her pageant journey.
A Competitive Jaipur Finale
The Miss Universe India 2026 finale brought together contestants from different parts of the country, with Kaziah ultimately taking the top honour.
Vaishnavi Ganesh from Tamil Nadu was named the first runner-up, while Anushri Satavlekar from Gujarat secured the second runner-up position. Tejaswini Shrivastava of Maharashtra and Anubha Vashisth Chaudhary of Uttarakhand completed the top five.
The judging panel featured several well-known names from the Indian pageant and entertainment industry, including former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen, former Miss Universe India titleholders Urvashi Rautela and Celina Jaitly, Miss Universe India 2024 Rhea Singha and film producer Pragya Kapoor.
India’s Next Miss Universe Representative
Kaziah’s victory now takes her journey to the international stage. She will represent India at the upcoming Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico in November.
Her journey from Kerala to Abu Dhabi and then to the national pageant stage in India has marked a significant achievement for the young law student and model.
With the national crown secured, Kaziah will now prepare for the next stage of her pageant journey as she represents India at the Miss Universe 2026 competition.