Rijul Maini, 24, a medical student from Michigan, crowned Miss India USA 2023

photo: The three winners - Rijul Maini, Sneha Nambiar, Saloni Rammohan

New Jersey: Rijul Maini, 24, a medical student from Michigan, has been crowned Miss India USA 2023 at the annual pageant held at Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords, New Jersey, December 8. Greeshma Bhat of Virginia was declared first runner-up and Ishita Pai Raikar of North Carolina was the second runner-up.

Sneha Nambiar from Massachusetts was declared as Mrs India USA and Saloni Rammohan from Pennsylvania won the title of Miss Teen India USA.

This year marks the 41st anniversary of the Worldwide Pageants founded by Dharmatma and Neelam Saran.

Maini, who is also a model, wants to be a surgeon and hopes to serve as a role model for women everywhere. She is also the first Indian woman in the history of her medical school to be elected class president. Rijul plans to be a  surgeon. “I want to leave a positive lasting impact on my community and focus on women’s financial independence and literacy” Rijul said. 

According to the organizers, 57 contestants from over 25 states participated in three different pageants - Miss India USA, Mrs. India USA and Miss Teen India USA.

Winners of all three categories gets complimentary tickets to Mumbai to take part in worldwide pageants, also organized by the same organization, in October this year.

Started by New York based eminent Indian Americans Dharmatma and Neelam Saran , under the banner of Worldwide Pageants around 41 years ago, Miss India USA is the longest running Indian pageant outside of India. This year pageant was presented by TV Asia and Royal Albert’s palace. It was a full house show with over 500 people in attendance.

The judging panel included Shekhar Rahate Hollywood Fashion Designer, Monica Gill –Punjabi and Bollywood actor and also Miss India Worldwide 2014, Khushi Patel – Miss India Worldwide 2022 and a model, Sarita Rinki Pattnaik – Mrs. India Worldwide 2017 and Interior Designer, and Falguni Trivedi – former Miss India New York and philanthropist.

Nishi Bahl State Director of New York was awarded State Director of the Year Award. 

Winners of the pageants here have gone to act in various Bollywood and Hollywood movies and also business world. Bela Bajaria a former Miss India USA and Miss India

Worldwide was the only Indian American along with Vice President Kamla Harris in the 100 most powerful women in the world by Forbes Magazine this week.

Pageant started with a magnificent opening dance number by all contestants choreographed by Shilpa Jhurani. "In addition to Bollywood dance and songs on stage, they give speeches, do motivational speaking, mono acting, sing popular American

songs, hip hop, paintings" said Dharmatma Saran. Bollywood actor Abhimanyu Dassani also made an appearance as Special Guest. One highlight of the pageant was participation by 62 year Sunita Malhotra from Massachusetts in Mrs. India USA category who thrilled the audience with her bollywood dance performance. She was awarded well deserved Mrs. People’s Choice Award.

“We are very proud of the fact that we have been able to imbibe Indian values, traditions, cultures and performing arts among Indian origin youth across the world” with our motto

“bringing India closer”, said Dharmatma Saran, Chairman and Founder Ayushi Chhabra – Mrs. India Nigeria 2017 and TV and Hollywood actor and Anuradha Maharaj – Miss India Trinidad 2011 were emcees. Audio Visual was provided by Media

Logistics. Nishi Bahl was the choreographer assisted by Shilpa Jhurani.