The 19-year-old law student, who grew up in Abu Dhabi, beat 51 contestants to win the Miss Universe India 2026 crown in Jaipur.
Kerala’s Kaziah Liz Mejo has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026, securing the opportunity to represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico this November.
The 19-year-old law student and model, who grew up in Abu Dhabi, won the national title at the grand finale in Jaipur after competing against 51 other contestants. She was crowned by outgoing titleholder Manika Vishwakarma.
The title was decided following a multi-city selection process, bringing together finalists chosen through state-level pageants, final auditions and NRI auditions.
Ahead of the Jaipur finale, the contestants went through several rounds of grooming, training and evaluation before appearing before a jury headed by former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen. The panel also featured former Miss Universe India winners Urvashi Rautela, Rhea Singha and Celina Jaitly.
Tamil Nadu’s Vaishnavi Gannesh was named first runner-up and also received the Miss International India 2026 title, while Gujarat’s Anushri Satavlekar finished as second runner-up.
From Kerala to the national crown
Kaziah, who hails from Mavelikkara in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, entered the national competition after winning the Miss Universe Kerala 2026 title earlier this year.
At 19, her victory makes her one of India’s youngest national pageant winners this year, marking a rapid rise from the state-level crown to the national title.
However, Kaziah is already familiar with the pageant circuit. Before winning Miss Universe India, she represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as first runner-up. She had also won the Miss Teen Diva title, marking the start of her competitive pageant journey.
Now, as Miss Universe India 2026, Kaziah will prepare to represent India at the international competition in Puerto Rico this November — a major step as she moves onto the global pageant stage.
Abu Dhabi roots
Although she represents Kerala, Kaziah spent much of her childhood in Abu Dhabi, where she has previously spoken about how the UAE capital shaped her formative years. She attended several schools in the city, including Emirates National School, St Joseph’s School and Abu Dhabi Indian School, before moving to India for higher education.
In an earlier interview, Kaziah spoke openly about teenage insecurities, body-image concerns and the unrealistic beauty standards often amplified by social media filters and edited images.
She is currently pursuing a law degree in Bengaluru, while balancing her studies with modelling and pageantry commitments.
Her journey reflects her belief that confidence should extend beyond online validation — a path that has taken her from Abu Dhabi classrooms and a Kerala state title to the Miss Universe India 2026 crown, with the global competition in Puerto Rico now ahead.
