On Sunday evening, 52 finalists will gather in Jaipur for the Miss Universe India 2026 grand finale. Also read | 15 pics that prove Miss India Manika Vishwakarma packed the most beautiful sarees, lehengas, suits for Miss Universe The pageant marks the national round ahead of the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico later this year, following months of auditions and preliminary rounds to choose India’s next representative.
The panel is led by actor Sushmita Sen , India’s first-ever Miss Universe (1994), alongside actors and fellow former titleholders Celina Jaitly (Miss Universe India 2001) and Urvashi Rautela (Miss Universe India 2015). Evaluating the delegates is an elite selection committee featuring notable names from Indian cinema and pageantry. Joining them on the jury is film producer Pragya Kapoor, among others. The journey to Sunday’s finale began with a multi-city audition process across New Delhi, Bengaluru, and other cities, which filtered out thousands of applicants. Also read | What was Lara Dutta’s winning Miss Universe answer which got her the highest interview score in pageant history: Watch At the end of the evening, reigning titleholder Manika Vishwakarma will crown her successor. The winner will serve as India’s ambassador at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico in November. She will undergo intensive training in styling, fitness and public speaking in the lead-up to the global beauty pageant.
