From ordinary women to global stars, Miss Indias have won 34 international titles, making the country the second-most successful participant at beauty pageants around the world

Stepping stone to stardom

From ordinary women to global stars, Miss Indias have won 34 international titles, making the country the second-most successful participant at beauty pageants around the world

    Indian women have traditionally been considered among the most beautiful in the world. With their combination of beauty, grace, poise and intelligence, they have been the embodiment of the perfect woman. No wonder then India has been one of the most successful participants in international beauty pageants.
    Over the years, Indian participants have returned with 11 main title crowns in international pageants like Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss Earth, and Miss Asia Pacific. They have also come back 23 times with second and third positions. With an impressive 34 wins across various categories, India has been the secondmost successful participant at these beauty pageants. Among the country’s many achievements include:
    Capturing the second highest number of Miss World titles — five, to be precise. Beauties like Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000) have made the country proud over the years in the Miss World competition.
    The historic moments when Sushmita Sen (1994) and Lara Dutta (2000) were crowned Miss Universe during their respective pageants. Besides Sushmita and Lara, participants like Yasmin Daji (1966), Madhu Sapre (1992), Manpreet Brar (1995) and Celina Jaitley (2001) were also triumphant in their pageants. They won the third runner-up, second runner-up, first runner-up and fourth runner-up positions, respectively, for the country.
Zeenat Aman (1970), Tara Anna Fonseca (1973) and Dia Mirza (2000) won the Miss Asia-Pacific crowns.
Nicole Faria won the Miss Earth crown in 2010.
And this is just a summary. Giving wings to the dreams of beautiful young women who aim to make a mark in the world of glamour, the institution of the Miss India pageant has acted as a stepping stone for many of today’s global stars. Armed with dreams and determination, aspirants from the remotest corners of the country have made it big through the platform, while also bringing glory and respect to the country.
    This year, the Miss India contest celebrates 50 years of its achievementfilled existence. To commemorate this special occasion, the country’s leading facecare brand, Pond’s, has joined hands with the pageant for the Pond’s Femina Miss India 2013 to invite and encourage contestants from across India to participate.
    Auditions have been initiated in all regions across the country. Seven city pageants are being held, out of which four have already been concluded in Pune, Goa, Indore and Bangalore. The next city on the list is Chandigarh, followed by Delhi and Kolkata in January 2013, which will culminate into the grand finale in Mumbai. The winner of the city pageants will get a lifetime opportunity to get fast-tracked to the finals at the grand finale of Pond’s Femina Miss India 2013.
To apply, log on to
http://feminamissindia.indiatimes.com
and send us your pictures
on feminamissindia2013@gmail.com 
Pond’s Gorgeously Alive International celebrities who swear by the brand include singing sensation Kylie Minogue, who reveals Pond’s as the secret of her glowing and youthful skin. Minogue has admitted she has started using it every day following her mother’s advice. “It’s really changed my skin,” she said. “It’s all I really use to look after my skin. It’s such an old classic.”
    Pond’s was the first sponsor when the Miss India pageant toured India with a fashion show and is now back with the Miss India pageant in its 50th year.

Miss World 1994 Aishwarya Rai Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen Miss World 1997 Diana Hayden