Kerala-born Kaziah Liz Mejo has begun her journey to Puerto Rico to represent India at the 75th edition of the Miss Universe pageant. The 19-year-old Miss Universe India 2026 winner departed from Indira Gandhi International Airport, with the Miss Universe India organisation sharing pictures of her departure on social media.
The international competition is scheduled to take place on November 24, 2026, at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Around 130 countries are expected to participate.
Kerala’s First Miss Universe India Winner
Kaziah Liz Mejo made history in August by becoming the first woman from Kerala to win the Miss Universe India title. She secured the crown at the national finale held in Jaipur on August 23, competing against 52 contestants.
Vaishnavi Gannesh from Tamil Nadu finished as the first runner-up, while Anushri Satavlekar from Gujarat was named the second runner-up and won the Miss International India 2026 title.
Who Is Kaziah Liz Mejo?
Hailing from Mavelikkara in Kerala, Kaziah is a law student and model. She spent much of her childhood in Abu Dhabi and is currently pursuing her law studies in Bengaluru.
Her pageant journey began before her national win. She won Miss Teen Diva 2024 at the age of 17 and represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as the first runner-up. Earlier in 2026, she also won Miss Universe Kerala.
Beyond modelling and academics, Kaziah has trained in classical dance for 12 years. She also sings and plays the violin and drums.
With her departure for Puerto Rico, Kaziah is preparing to represent India on the international stage at one of the world’s major beauty pageants.
