For the second year a Muscat-based girl will vie for top honours in the annual Femina Miss India contest to be held in Mumbai next week.
Twenty-two-year-old biotech engineer, Shruti Dilip, beat 30 girls who came from all over the Gulf at a preliminary round in Dubai to qualify as the representative of the region.
"This was the first time the qualification round was held in Dubai," said Shruti while responding to a barrage of questions from the media. Shruti did her initial schooling in Muscat and now works for a local firm in Muscat.
Confidence
Her compusure in replying to even tough questions with a charming smile reflected her confidence and poise.
Last year, another Muscat-based girl, Sarah Jane Dias, was among the finalists and went on to win the Miss India World title.
An alumnus of the Indian School, Al Ghubra, Shruti Dilip said: "I was the only one from Muscat and the rest were from the UAE in the preliminary round." Asked what distinguished her from the other 29 participants, she said: "I was the lucky one."
Shruti interacted with the media at a meeting organised at the Indian Embassy by BankMuscat's Pravasi NRI Services, who is sponsoring Shruti in her participation in the finals.
Describing her strong points in the contest, the affable Keralite beauty singled out her self-discipline and positive attitude. "I'm a very positive person," she said. She added that she would approach the beauty contest with a cool mind and would enjoy the challenge. "I am a disciplined person and that is reflected in all aspects of my life, including diet."
She said she is a voracious reader and said the last book she read was The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.
Shruti claimed that she was generally aware of the social, political and economic developments around the world, which she hopes will help her in the contest on April 5 where intelligence is as important as beauty.
Muscat is her home and she is involved in charity work for the Dar Al Atta Charity organisation.
When asked about the political correctness needed by the contestants and cliché answers given by the title contenders such as, "we love Mother Teresa", Shruti smiled and said: "Probably I will change the name of the personality."
Anil Wadhwa, Indian Ambassador to Oman, who was also present, said: "It is a matter of pride that Shruti is among the finalists in the beauty contest. We wish her all success to win the pageant."
