19-Year-Old Law Student from Kerala Kaziah Liz Mejo Crowned Miss Universe India 2026

Jaipur: Nineteen-year-old law student and model Kaziah Liz Mejo from Kerala has won the prestigious Miss Universe India 2026 title.

At the grand finale held in Jaipur on Sunday, August 23, Kaziah outperformed 52 finalists from across the country to secure the national crown. With this victory, she will represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico this November.

Journey to the National Title: Hailing from Mavelikkara, Kerala, Kaziah is currently pursuing a law degree while actively working as a model. She has previously achieved several major pageant milestones, including winning Miss Teen Diva 2024 at age 17 and finishing as first runner-up at Miss Teen International 2025 representing India. Earlier this year, she became the youngest winner of the state title by winning Miss Universe Kerala 2026.

Childhood in Abu Dhabi and Diverse Talents: Although native to Kerala, Kaziah spent her childhood in Abu Dhabi, UAE, studying at Emirates National School, St. Joseph's School, and Abu Dhabi Indian School. Beyond pageantry, she is trained in classical dance for 12 years, is a musician capable of playing the drums and violin, and has also made an acting appearance in the Malayalam film Shylock.

The Finale and Jury: At the Jaipur finale, Tamil Nadu's Vaishnavi Gannesh was named first runner-up, while Gujarat's Anushri Satavlekar finished as second runner-up and received the Miss International India 2026 title. The jury panel featured former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen alongside former Miss Universe India winners Urvashi Rautela and Celina Jaitley.