UAE-born Kaziah Liz Mejo eyes fourth Miss Universe crown for India
The law student and model, who was raised in Abu Dhabi, won the national title in Jaipur
UAE-born Kaziah Liz Mejo, who was crowned Miss Universe India 2026 last month, is preparing to represent India at the global Miss Universe pageant, with the 19-year-old hoping to bring the country its fourth crown.
Kaziah won the national title at the grand finale in Jaipur on August 23. She will represent India at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico in November.
Speaking about her journey in Thiruvananthapuram and the upcoming international competition, Kaziah said she was grateful for the support she had received from Kerala and across India.
"I'm so grateful to India, to Kerala, and to my organisation, my supporters, and my trainers. This is so special to my heart. We are so prepared to bring the fourth crown of Miss Universe back to India," she told ANI.
She added that representing India on the global stage was a deeply personal opportunity.
"This is so personal, not just to me and not just to Kerala, but also for India," she said.
Kaziah also recalled meeting Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan after winning the Miss Universe Kerala title. She said he had encouraged and supported her even before she competed for the national crown.
"I met him a few months ago when I won Miss Universe Kerala and was going to represent the state at Miss Universe India, hoping to bring the first crown back. Even when I met him then, he had so much support, so much faith in me, and he told me all the best," she said.
From Abu Dhabi to the national crown
Kaziah hails from Mavelikkara in Kerala's Alappuzha district but spent much of her childhood and teenage years in Abu Dhabi. She studied at schools in the UAE capital, including Emirates National School, St Joseph's School and Abu Dhabi Indian School. (
Her upbringing in the UAE has also played a prominent role in her journey. In an earlier interview with Gulf News, Kaziah spoke about how Abu Dhabi's multicultural environment helped shape her confidence and outlook as she prepared for the international pageant.
At 19, she became the first Keralite to win the Miss Universe India title. She emerged from a field of more than 50 finalists at the Jaipur finale.
A law student, Kaziah is also pursuing a career in modelling. She represented India at Miss Teen International 2025, where she finished as the first runner-up, before winning the Miss Universe Kerala title and progressing to the national competition.
With the Miss Universe India crown secured, Kaziah is now turning her attention to Puerto Rico, where she will take the stage as India's representative at the global pageant in November.
