From Insecure Teenager to India's Crown: How Kerala's Kaziah Liz Mejo, 19, Just Won Miss Universe India 2026
Kerala's 19-year-old law student Kaziah Liz Mejo wins Miss Universe India 2026 in Jaipur and now heads to Puerto Rico for the 75th global finale in November.
For a 19-year-old who once said she couldn't bear to keep an unfiltered photograph of herself, Sunday night in Jaipur ended with the sort of moment most young women only rehearse in their heads. Kaziah Liz Mejo, a law student from Mavelikkara in Kerala's Alappuzha district, was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 at Zee Studios, with outgoing titleholder Manika Vishwakarma placing the crown on her head and handing over the sash after her own year-long reign.
Mejo emerged from a field of 52 finalists — 31 representatives from states and Union Territories, 20 wildcard entrants and one non-resident Indian candidate — after months of preliminary rounds staged across Jaipur, Indore, Bengaluru and New Delhi. The result made her the third titleholder produced under the Glamanand Group, which acquired India's Miss Universe franchise in 2024 and has since delivered Rhea Singha in its inaugural edition, Manika Vishwakarma last year and now Mejo.
Behind the tiara sits a résumé that reads younger than most first-time national winners. Though she carries the Kerala sash, much of Mejo's early life was spent in Abu Dhabi, where she completed her schooling before turning to law and, in parallel, competitive pageantry. Her international debut came at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as first runner-up. Earlier this year, she added the Miss Universe Kerala state title to her wall — the last box she needed to tick before Jaipur.
"This title is not just an achievement, it is a big responsibility. Representing India on the international stage is a matter of pride for me," Mejo said in a statement released by the pageant organisers after her win.
