Riya Singh, an 18-year-old, has won the Miss Universe India crown, defeating 51 other contestants.

Her name was announced at the grand finale held in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on Sunday, where actress Urvashi Rautela placed the crown on her head.

Riya will represent India at Miss Universe 2024, which will take place in Mexico this year.

Emotionally overwhelmed by her win, Riya expressed her gratitude in an interview with Indian media, stating, "I am very grateful to have won the title of Miss Universe India 2024. I have worked hard to reach this point."

She started her modeling career at a young age, winning titles such as Diva’s Miss Teen Gujarat at 16 and Miss Teen Earth 2023 at 17. Riya has also worked in several commercial advertisements.

She is the daughter of Indian businessman Brijesh Singh, and her parents have been very supportive of her dreams and career. Riya completed her studies at Mahatma Gandhi International School in Ahmedabad in 2022 and graduated in Performing Arts from GLS University.

She is quite active on social media, with over 46,000 followers.