Kaziah Liz Mejo leaves for Miss Universe 2026 in Puerto Rico

Kaziah Liz Mejo, who won the Miss Universe India 2026 title in Jaipur in August, has left New Delhi for Puerto Rico to represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant, the national organisation said in photos it shared on Instagram this week. The 19-year-old law student from Kerala, who grew up in Abu Dhabi, wore an embroidered maroon saree for her departure and travelled with her crown and the Indian flag, according to reports of the send-off. The international final is due to be held in Puerto Rico later in November 2026.

Miss Universe is one of the oldest and most widely followed international beauty pageants, and India's entrant draws attention at home every year. Past Indian winners include Sushmita Sen and Lara Dutta, whose wins helped turn pageants into a launch pad for careers in film, modelling and public life. For a 19-year-old law student, the stage is also a platform to speak on causes, since modern pageants give weight to interviews and personal advocacy, not only to the evening gown and swimsuit rounds.

Mejo's background also reflects the reach of the Indian diaspora. She is a Malayali raised in the Gulf, and her crowning and departure were covered closely by publications in the UAE, where a large Malayali community lives and works.

For the Indian fashion industry, the international pageant is a showcase. Contestants wear outfits by Indian designers through the preliminary events and a national costume round that often draws on regional crafts and textiles. Her choice of an embroidered maroon saree for the airport send-off was an early example of how Indian entrants use the global stage to present traditional dress.

Peepals timeline: In 2025, Kaziah Liz Mejo was named first runner-up at Miss Teen International while representing India. On 23 August 2026 she won the Miss Universe India 2026 title in Jaipur, beating 51 other finalists. In the first week of November 2026, the national organisation shared photos of her departure from New Delhi for Puerto Rico. The 75th Miss Universe pageant takes place there later this month.

Short-term: Mejo now joins the weeks of preliminary events, rehearsals and interviews that come before the final. Her outfits, the national costume she wears and her answers in the interview rounds will be followed closely by Indian fans online.

Long-term: A strong finish at Miss Universe often opens doors in fashion, advertising and entertainment for Indian contestants, and adds to the profile of the Indian designers who dress them. It can also raise the visibility of the causes a contestant chooses to speak about.

Who is affected: Young women considering pageants as a route into modelling or public life; Indian designers and craftspeople whose work is shown at the pageant; and the Kerala and Gulf diaspora communities who have followed her rise.

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