24-year-old Aspiring Surgeon Rijul Maini of Michigan Crowned Miss India USA 2023

Indian American medical student Rijul Maini of Michigan was crowned Miss India USA 2023 at the annual pageant held on Oct. 8 in New Jersey. Greeshma Bhat of Virginia was declared first runner-up, and Ishita Pai Raikar of North Carolina was the second runner-up. The Mrs India USA title went to Sneha Nambiar of Massachusetts, and Saloni Rammohan of Pennsylvania won the title of Miss Teen India USA.

Maini, 24, aspires to be a surgeon, and hopes to serve as a role model to women everywhere. In an Instagram post she credited her win to her “loving parents and family, Michigan pageant directors, and ride or die friends that stuck with me every step of the way. They say it takes a village and that couldn’t be more true!.” Her “most beautiful” outfits for the pageant were curated by her “amazingly talented momma.”

Nambiar, who works in tech and is a trained Bharathnatyam dancer, also wants to be a role model to other women ‘to embrace their own uniqueness, break glass ceilings and contribute to the world with compassion and strength,” according to a Facebook post by Miss India New England. She is “guided by Nelson Mandela’s words of ‘the glory of life lies not in never falling, but rising every time we fall,’” the post said.

Bhat took to Instagram as well. “Two weeks ago I decided to try something new and now I am your Miss India USA 1ru 2023,” she posted. “This has been an amazing experience, from being on stage to meeting all the other participants and I couldn’t be more grateful for this new platform,” she added. “This is definitely just the beginning and I can’t wait to grab every opportunity that comes my way from this beautiful experience.”

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“Beyond honored to be crowned Miss India USA 2023 2nd runner-up,” read a Facebook post from Pai Raikar. “Representing the Indian diaspora on this esteemed platform is a privilege. This journey has been nothing short of extraordinary, and being a runner-up isn’t just a position; it’s a powerful vantage point for growth and celebration.”

The 41st edition of the annual pageant was held at Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords, New Jersey, and is the longest running Indian pageant outside of India. It was started by New York-based Indian-Americans Dharmatma and Neelam Saran under the banner of Worldwide Pageants., 57 contestants from over 25 states participated in the three different pageants.