Miss India winners: 2026
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Details
April 20, 2026: The Times of India
At the grand finale of KIIT Bhubaneswar presents 61st Femina Miss India co-powered by Rajnigandha Pearls held on Saturday night in Bhubaneswar, Sadhvi Sail (centre) from Goa was crowned Femina Miss India World 2026. She will go on to represent India at the Miss World contest. Rajnandini Pawar (right) from Maharashtra was crowned Femina Miss India 2026 - 1st Runner Up, and Sree Advaita (left) from Jammu & Kashmir took the title of Femina Miss India 2026 - 2nd Runner Up.
April 20, 2026: The Times of India
Bhubaneswar : For a few hours on Saturday evening, the KIIT Bhubaneswar campus turned into a grand stage. Thirty state winners walked the ramp for the finale of KIIT Bhubaneswar presents 61st Femina Miss India co-powered by Rajnigandha Pearls. Sadhvi Sail from Goa was crowned Femina Miss India World 2026. She will go on to represent India at the Miss World contest. Rajnandini Pawar from Maharashtra was declared the winner of Femina Miss India 2026 - 1st RunnerUp, and Sree Advaita from Jammu and Kashmir claimed the title of Femina Miss India 2026 - 2nd Runner-Up.
Vineet Jain, Managing Director, Times Group, said, “For over six decades, Femina Miss India has stood for one powerful idea: empowering young Indian women to achieve their true potential and shape their own journeys. This platform has been a launchpad for women who have gone on to make their mark across multiple industries, including cinema, media, entrepreneurship, public service, and global advocacy. Over the years, the pageant has earned India global recognition through winners like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Dia Mirza, Manushi Chhillar and many others, who continue to inspire millions of women. That is the true legacy of Femina Miss India.”
The evening featured a mix of fashion, music and performances by actor Ishaan Khatter, singer Jubin Nautiyal and dancer Lauren Gottlieb. It was co-hosted by Maniesh Paul and Sarah Jane Dias.
Opening the showcase, Vishwa Sutra: Weaves of India for the World, spearheaded by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, and designed by Vaishali S, saw the 30 state winners present a tribute to India’s handloom heritage. Traditional weaves from across 30 states were reimagined into global silhouettes inspired by 30 countries.
The finale designer round featured a showcase by Vazaneh by Prbhjiit Maniktala.
The evening was judged by a panel that included veteran actor Zeenat Aman, filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar, choreographer and actor Terence Lewis, Femina Miss India 2002 and actor Neha Dhupia, Miss Universe 2001 Runner-Up and actor Celina Jaitly, actor Simran, music composer and singer Amaal Mallik, two-time Olympian and 100m national record holder Dutee Chand, and Miss Diva 2019 and actor Vartika Singh, bringing together voices from across industries. Femina Miss India Sikkim 2026 Passang Deekila Sherpa was announced the winner of the Times Miss Multimedia title, and also emerged as Femina Miss India North East 2026, alongside the other zonal winners: Femina Miss India North 2026 Yashika Sharma, Femina Miss India East 2026 Anushka Sone, Femina Miss India South 2026 Indu Phalguni, and Femina Miss India West 2026 Rajnandini Pawar.
The 61st edition of the pageant kicked off last November with the launch of a nationwide talent hunt to find promising prospects from all corners of the country. The scouting drive and subsequent audition rounds across five zones — North, East, North East, South and West — culminated with the selection of 30 state winners who then underwent a grooming journey through a specialised boot camp in Mumbai, led by industry experts.
This season, the pageant finds its inspiration in ‘Connecting the DOTS’, where DOTS stands for ‘Daughters of This Soil’. Through this initiative, the pageant brings together 30 daughters from 30 states under one unified stage, celebrating the diversity, strength and spirit of womanhood.
As part of the Beauty With a Purpose initiative, the Miss India Organisation, in collaboration with Ketto, a crowdsourcing platform, raised Rs 66,17,295 to support children lacking access to medical aid and education. Femina Miss India Gujarat 2026 Parinaz Cooper, who raised close to Rs 23,61,160, emerged as the highest individual contributor and was awarded the Times Miss Beauty With a Purpose title.
