UAE-born Kaziah Liz Mejo crowned Miss Universe India 2026
UAE-born Kaziah Liz Mejo has been crowned Miss Universe India 2026, earning the right to represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico this November.
The 19-year-old, originally from Mavelikkara in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, won the national title at the grand finale held at Zee Studios in Jaipur on August 23, standing out among 53 contestants from across India.
From Abu Dhabi to the national crown
Kaziah’s story has strong ties to the UAE.
Although she comes from Kerala, she spent much of her childhood and teenage years in Abu Dhabi, where she studied at Emirates National School, St Joseph’s School and Abu Dhabi Indian School.
Growing up in the UAE’s multicultural environment played an important role in shaping her confidence, communication style and global outlook.
That background has now become part of a journey taking her from Abu Dhabi classrooms to one of the world’s most recognised beauty pageant stages.
A major win in Jaipur
At the Miss Universe India 2026 finale, Kaziah was crowned by Manika Vishwakarma, the previous year’s titleholder.
The event brought together several well-known names from India’s pageant and entertainment industry.
The jury included former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen, as well as former Miss Universe India titleholders Urvashi Rautela, Celina Jaitly and Rhea Singha, alongside film producer Pragya Kapoor.
Kaziah ultimately secured the top title ahead of contestants from across the country.
More than pageantry
Kaziah’s profile extends well beyond beauty competitions.
She is currently studying law in Bengaluru while also working as a model.
Her pageant career began during her teenage years, when she won the Miss Teen Diva title in 2024.
A year later, she represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as first runner-up.
That international experience helped prepare her for the pressure and visibility of the Miss Universe India competition.
A background in dance, music and acting
Kaziah also has extensive experience in the performing arts.
She has trained in classical dance for 12 years and is also involved in music, including singing and playing both the drums and violin.
Her creative interests have also taken her into acting.
Kaziah made her screen debut in the Malayalam film Shylock, adding another dimension to a career that already combines modelling, pageantry, law and performance.
Confidence built over time
Her rise has not been entirely effortless.
Kaziah has previously spoken about dealing with insecurities related to appearance and self-confidence.
For her, pageantry became part of a broader process of personal growth.
She has emphasised resilience, communication skills and the ability to become comfortable in her own identity as important parts of that journey.
Those qualities are likely to become even more important as she prepares for the international Miss Universe stage.
Other finalists announced
The Jaipur finale also recognised several other contestants.
Vaishnavi Ganesh of Tamil Nadu was named first runner-up and will represent India at Miss International 2026.
Anushri Satavlekar of Gujarat finished as second runner-up, while Tejaswini Shrivastava of Maharashtra and Anubha Vashisth Chaudhary of Uttarakhand took third and fourth runner-up positions respectively.
Next stop: Miss Universe
Kaziah will now represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico this November.
Her path to the international stage brings together several parts of her identity: her Kerala roots, her upbringing in Abu Dhabi and her experience representing India in international pageantry.
For the UAE, her success also highlights another example of how growing up in the Emirates can shape internationally minded young talent.
At just 19, Kaziah Liz Mejo is now preparing for the biggest stage of her pageant career — and taking a strong connection to Abu Dhabi with her.
