Rijul Maini.
Credit: X/@Rijul Maini
Washington DC: Rijul Maini, a medical student from Michigan, has been crowned Miss India USA 2023 at the annual pageant held in New Jersey.
During the event, 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 41th anniversary of the pageant which 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.
Maini, a 24-year-old Indian-American, is a medical student and model. She aspires to be a surgeon and hopes to serve as a role model to women everywhere, a press release said.
Greeshma Bhat of Virginia was declared first runner-up and Ishita Pai Raikar of North Carolina was the second runner-up.
According to the organisers, 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 will be getting complimentary air tickets to take part in Miss- Mrs.-Teen India Worldwide organized by the same group.
"I am very much thankful to Indian community around the world for their support over the years," said Dharmatma Saran, founder and chairman of Worldwide Pageants.