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Femina Miss India
Formation	1964
Type	Beauty Pageant
Headquarters	Mumbai, India
Location	India
Membership	Miss Universe Miss World Miss Earth Miss International
Official languages	Standard Hindi, English
National director	Marc Robinson
Website	feminamissindia.indiatimes.com

Miss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India that annually selects representatives to compete globally. The winner of Femina Miss India vies in Miss World, the first runner up competes in Miss Earth, and the second runner up goes to compete in Miss International.^[1] It is organised by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. In previous years, the top three finalists were variously crowned Miss India World, Miss India Universe and Miss India Earth/International/Asia-Pacific.

Femina Miss India used to select a winner and two runners up who were then sent to international contests such as Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss Asia Pacific respectively. In 1994, after India's historic win at the International pageants, the organization ended the practice of crowning a single winner and instead decided that the top three winners were designated as winners with equal visibility and prizes instead of crowning a single winner to represent India at Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss Asia Pacific.^[2] In 2002, the third winner was designated to Miss Earth instead of Miss Asia Pacific. In 2010, Femina Miss India decided that they would no longer send a representative to Miss Universe at all, and relinquished the Miss Universe franchise, choosing instead to designate the third winner to represent India in Miss International instead, a contest that it had historically sent a finalist to. In 2013 Femina Miss India awarded the franchise back after I Am She – Miss Universe India concluding their contract with Miss Universe Organisation

The 50th edition of Ponds Femina Miss India 2013 was held in Mumbai on 24 March 2013. The show was telecasted live on Colors (TV channel)

History[edit]

The first Miss India was Pramila (Esther Victoria Abraham), from Calcutta, who won in 1947.[1][2]

Over the years, Indian participation in the international picture has grown.

International pageants[edit]

Miss India has been participating in the Miss Universe pageant since 1952, starting with Indrani Rehman and in the Miss World pageant since 1959, starting with Fleur Ezekiel. There is no clause that stipulates that the winner of Miss India (or winner of a national title) cannot participate in the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants in the same year. Historically, the Femina Miss India pageant sent the winner of the pageant to the Miss Universe pageant, and Eve's Weekly , a rival women's publication sent the winner of its Miss India contest to Miss World, Miss Asia Pacific. In the late 80s, Femina acquired the rights to send a representative to Miss World as well, and started to send the winner to Miss Universe and the runner-up to the Miss World contest. In 1994, following India's historic dual wins at both Miss Universe and Miss World, the custom of crowning a single winner was discontinued. Instead, the top three placers were each designated a winner, with equal prizes, visibility and responsibilities, and crowned Femina Miss India-Universe, Femina Miss India-World, and Femina Miss India-Asia Pacific. In 2002, the third title was changed to Femina Miss India-Earth, to designate India's representation at the newly launched Miss Earth pageant, focused on the cause of environmental advocacy. From 2007 to 2009, three equal winners were selected going to Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss Earth.^[3][4] In 2010, Femina Miss India decided to stop sending representatives to the Miss Universe pageant entirely, choosing instead to send a crowned winner to Miss International.

The awards for 1989 were given at the end of the year (December); hence there was no separate contest for 1990.

In 1994, Sushmita Sen won the Miss Universe title after winning the Miss India crown and became the first Indian woman ever to win the Miss Universe crown. The same year the runner-up of Miss India, Aishwarya Rai, won the Miss World title. Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai established themselves in the Bollywood industry after winning their titles.

The success of Rai and Sen spawned coaching institutions which were set up to groom young women in pageant participation skills. The number of participants in the preliminary rounds of the pageant has increased considerably. Miss India World 1997, Diana Hayden won the title of Miss World 1997. Pageant winners are groomed for months in preparation for the international contest. In 1999, the Miss India runner-up Yukta Mookhey went on to win the Miss World that year.

In 2000, three of the Miss India winners won their respective international pageants — Lara Dutta (Miss Universe), Priyanka Chopra (Miss World) and Diya Mirza (Miss Asia Pacific). The only other country to have won all three major titles in one year was Australia in 1972.

In 2010, Nicole Faria became the first Indian to win the Miss Earth title in Vietnam, which leaves Miss International as the only major international pageant that has not been won by an Indian contestant, although India has placed as a runner up on numerous occasions.

Controversies[edit]

Controversies erupted in the year 2008 when president of Gladrags, Maureen Wadia, served a legal notice to the newly crowned Pantaloons Femina Miss India Earth 2008, Harshita Saxena for violation of a two-year exclusive contract with Gladrags which had been signed by Harshita in 2006. To participate in any other beauty pageant, Harshita would have required a written letter of no-objection from Gladrags. Earlier in an interview with CNN-IBN Maureen Wadia said, "Harshita Saxena from Goa is a Gladrags model. She was a part of my Megamodel Contract in April 2006. Her contract has not expired and Harshita has entered in some other contest before the contract has expired. The contract clearly said that they have to take my permission." Owing to this, Harshita had to give up the title and the crown passed on to Tanvi Vyas who represented India in the Miss Earth 2008 paegent held in November 2008.^[5] Harshita was later placed fourth in Miss India 2009 and represented India in Miss International 2009.

Starting in 2010, Femina Miss India relinquished the franchise to send a representative to the Miss Universe pageant. Tantra Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (TEPL) in collaboration with 1994 Miss Universe Sushmita Sen have started a new pageant called I Am She – Miss Universe India. The winner of this pageant will participate in the Miss Universe pageant.^[6]

In 1989, the winner Kalpana Pandit was found to have misrepresented her nationality (she was holding an American passport); she was stripped of her title and Dolly Mihas was declared winner.^[7]

In 2004 Lakshmi Pandit (sister of Kalpana Pandit) was initially declared as the winner but had to return the title as she was married (to Siddarth Mishra); Sayali Bhagat was ultimately declared as the winner. The Pandit sisters are from Mysore, Karnataka. They are M.B.B.S graduates who lost the title due to material misrepresentations.^[8]

By number of wins[edit]

Representation[edit]

Miss Universe[edit]

India did not compete in the Miss Universe for ten years from 1953–1963. A separate pageant, I AM She – Miss Universe India, sent the contestants to Miss Universe from year 2010 to 2012. In 2013 Femina Miss India was awarded the franchise back after I Am She – Miss Universe India concluding their contract with Miss Universe Organisation. A separate pageant Indian Diva will be held to send delegates from 2013 onwards.

Miss World[edit]

India did not send delegates in 1967, 1965, 1964, 1963

Miss Earth[edit]

Nicole Faria is the first and only Indian woman to win Miss Earth title.

Miss International[edit]

An Indian woman has never won the Miss International title and India did not send delegates to Miss International in 1963 -1967, 1972, 1977, 1989, 1990.

Miss Asia Pacific International[edit]

Miss India used to send its third winner to compete in Miss Asia Pacific. Even though Miss Asia Pacific International was a prestigious beauty pageant, it wasn't conducted regularly and in 2006 ceased to exist. Since 2002 the Femina Miss India organisation sent the third winner to Miss Earth and since 2010 the second winner competes in Miss Earth. The last candidate from Miss India to Miss Asia Pacific was Simran Chandok.

Photographs of international titleholders:

• 

  Sushmita Sen, Miss Universe 1994

• 

  Lara Dutta, Miss Universe 2000

• 

  Aishwarya Rai, Miss World 1994

• 

  Diana Hayden, Miss World 1997

• 

  Yukta Mookhey, Miss World 1999

• 

  Priyanka Chopra, Miss World 2000

• 

  Nicole Faria, Miss Earth 2010

• 

  Zeenat Aman, Miss Asia Pacific 1970

• 

  Dia Mirza, Miss Asia Pacific 2000

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Femina Miss India official website
• Femina Miss India Photos

v t e Miss India winners in the Grand Slam pageants Miss Universe Sushmita Sen (1994) Lara Dutta (2000) Miss World Reita Faria (1966) Aishwarya Rai (1994) Diana Hayden (1997) Yukta Mookhey (1999) Priyanka Chopra (2000) Miss Earth Nicole Faria (2010) Miss International - Dominican Republic India Panamá Philippines Puerto Rico USA Venezuela