Kaziah Liz Mejo’s Inspiring Rise to Miss Universe India 2026

Kaziah Liz Mejo has reached the national spotlight after winning the Miss Universe India 2026 title at the age of 19. But behind the crown is a personal journey that she has described as one of overcoming insecurity, developing confidence and learning to present herself with greater self-belief.

The Kerala-born youngster emerged as the winner at the Miss Universe India 2026 finale held in Jaipur on August 23. Her victory has also brought attention to her unusual journey from a young woman who once struggled with confidence to a national pageant winner preparing to represent India internationally.

Kaziah Liz Mejo crowned Miss Universe India 2026

Kaziah won the national title after competing against 52 finalists at the Jaipur finale.

Vaishnavi Gannesh from Tamil Nadu was announced as the first runner-up, while Gujarat’s Anushri Satavlekar secured the second runner-up position.

For Kerala, the result was particularly significant. Kaziah became the first woman from Kerala to win the Miss Universe India title, adding another milestone to her growing pageant career.

Her next challenge will be on the international stage, where she is expected to represent India at the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico in November 2026.

A journey that began with self-doubt

Kaziah's story stands out because her pageant journey was not built solely around confidence from the beginning.

She has spoken about experiencing insecurity regarding her appearance and personality. At one point, she was uncomfortable sharing unfiltered pictures of herself and found it difficult to feel confident about how she looked.

Instead of allowing those feelings to define her, Kaziah began working on herself.

She focused on areas such as communication, personality development and presentation. Her approach was to gradually become more comfortable in situations that initially made her nervous.

For Kaziah, confidence became something she could develop through practice rather than something she simply had to possess.

Harnaaz Sandhu inspired her pageant dream

Her interest in beauty pageants reportedly grew after watching Harnaaz Sandhu win the Miss Universe crown in 2021.

That moment gave Kaziah a glimpse of what could be possible and encouraged her to consider entering the world of pageantry herself.

Her progress since then has been notable.

At just 17, she won Miss Teen Diva 2024. She later represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as the first runner-up.

The experience gave her exposure to international competition and helped her continue developing her stage presence.

In 2026, she added another important achievement by winning the Miss Universe Kerala title. That victory eventually led to the national competition, where she secured the Miss Universe India crown.

Balancing studies and pageantry

Kaziah's life is not limited to modelling and beauty competitions. She is also pursuing law, making academics another important part of her journey.

She was born in Kerala and is associated with Mavelikkara. Reports have also noted that she spent a significant part of her childhood in Abu Dhabi.

Alongside her studies, she has developed experience in modelling and performing arts.

This combination of education and pageantry has helped shape her public profile at a relatively young age.

Why her story is attracting attention

Beauty pageants are often viewed primarily through the lens of appearances, fashion and stage performance. Kaziah's journey offers another perspective.

Her experience highlights the importance of confidence, communication and personal growth in competitive environments.

The transformation from someone who was uncomfortable with her appearance to a contestant capable of competing successfully at national and international levels has become an important part of her story.

Her age is another notable factor. At 19, Kaziah has already accumulated experience across several pageant platforms and now has an opportunity to compete for India on one of the world's biggest beauty pageant stages.

Preparing for the international competition

With the national title secured, attention will now turn to Kaziah's preparations for the Miss Universe 2026 competition.

Representing India internationally will bring a different level of competition and visibility. Her earlier experience at Miss Teen International could provide useful exposure as she prepares for the global event.

The 75th Miss Universe competition is scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico in November 2026.

For Kaziah, the coming months will therefore be another important phase in a journey that began with uncertainty and gradually developed into a national-level pageant career.

Her Miss Universe India 2026 victory has already established her as a new name to watch in Indian pageantry. The international competition will now provide her with the opportunity to take that journey one step further.