19-year-old law student from Kerala is now India's Miss Universe 2026 winner

At 19, Kerala's Kaziah Liz Mejo has gone from law student and model to Miss Universe India 2026. She won the national crown in Jaipur and will represent India at the global pageant in Puerto Rico.Kaziah Liz Mejo, 19, has won Miss Universe India 2026. From law school and classical dance to international pageantry, here's a look at her journey to the national crown. (Image: Instagram/@missuniverseindiaorgAt just 19, Kaziah Liz Mejo has added one of India's biggest beauty pageant titles to her growing list of achievements. The law student and model from Kerala was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 at the grand finale in Jaipur on Sunday, August 23, beating 52 finalists. She will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico in November.FROM KERALA TO THE NATIONAL CROWNKaziah is from Mavelikkara, Kerala, and is currently pursuing law while also working as a model.She has already had several pageant milestones before winning the national crown. At 17, she won Miss Teen Diva 2024. She then represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as the first runner-up. Earlier this year, she won Miss Universe Kerala 2026, becoming the youngest winner of the state title.SHE GREW UP IN ABU DHABIAlthough Kaziah is from Kerala, she spent her childhood in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She studied at Emirates National School, St Joseph's School and Abu Dhabi Indian School. Pageantry is only one part of her profile. Kaziah has trained in classical dance for 12 years and is also a singer and musician who can play the drums and violin. She has explored public speaking and acting as well.She also made her acting debut in the Malayalam film Shylock.THE JAIPUR FINALE Kaziah emerged from a field of 52 finalists at the Miss Universe India 2026 finale in Jaipur.Tamil Nadu's Vaishnavi Gannesh was named first runner-up, while Gujarat's Anushri Satavlekar finished second runner-up and also received the Miss International India 2026 title.The finale's jury included former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen, along with former Miss Universe India winners Urvashi Rautela and Celina Jaitley.HER BIGGEST PAGEANT YETThe national title now takes Kaziah to the international stage.She will travel to Puerto Rico in November to represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant. The competition will bring together contestants from around the world, giving the 19-year-old her biggest pageant assignment yet.For someone who began her pageant journey as a teenager, Kaziah's path so far has moved through Miss Teen Diva, Miss Teen International, Miss Universe Kerala and now Miss Universe India.- EndsPublished By: vaishnavi parasharPublished On: Aug 24, 2026 14:33 IST