Yerawada central jail, Prison in Pune, India

As India proudly hosts the 72nd Miss World Festival from May 7 to May 31, 2025, all eyes are on Nandini Gupta, the 21-year-old beauty queen from Kota, Rajasthan, representing our nation on one of the world’s most prestigious stages. From mustard fields to the Mumbai spotlight, her journey reflects resilience, ambition, and purpose. Speaking exclusively with Lokmat Times, Nandini opened up about her upbringing, dreams, and the responsibilities she carries as India’s delegate to the global pageant.Reflecting on her journey from rural Rajasthan to the glamour of global pageantry, Nandini shares, “I come from the Mustard Fields and now on to the Mumbai Spotlight, and I'm looking forward to the 72nd Miss World Festival. My journey has been anything but conventional. From a farming background, from my roots to Mumbai's hustle and bustle, I've transformed as a person. My qualities have been sharpened and polished. And I hope that I do justice as an Indian delegate to represent India on the world stage.”Despite her busy life as a national beauty queen, Nandini pursued and completed a degree in Business Management. Speaking of how she balanced education with her evolving career, she said, “I've completed business management as a degree, and management was something that I was learning all those three years of my bachelor's degree, theoretically, but when I got the chance to put that knowledge into practicality, I did not hesitate. Well, although the juggle and hustle is a little bit, but I love the hustle, I love the bustle, and I think that's why Mumbai and I are the best friends when it comes to working, when it comes to the hustling and bustling, and when it comes to storytelling.”With the added pressure of being the host delegate, Nandini remains grounded and optimistic about the journey ahead. “Well, mentally and emotionally, I'm preparing myself to be very strong. I'm not looking towards the pessimistic side of the situation, but rather I'm looking to the optimistic side. Now is the time for preparation and no pressure. Looking forward to all the preparation to come all together while I'll be there during the festival. Why look at the pressure side of it when you can look at the love and the blessings of 1.4 billion Indian citizens who are rooting for me to win that crown of the seven years and the 7th crown for India.”Also Read: 5 Simple Habits You Should Follow For Good HealthFor Nandini, wearing the Indian sash is not just a symbol—it’s a heartfelt representation of the nation. “To be able to wear the Indian sash on the global stage, it's not only wearing the sash, but it's wearing India on my heart. To be able to be recognized not as Nandini or not as Rajasthan, but as India, it's a matter of pride. And I'm looking forward to the world calling me India and the world at large. I'm sure that through my journey, many girls from farming backgrounds will be influenced. They will get inspired, and I hope that I do a proper justice and fill in all the big shoes that I have in place to represent India at the 72nd Miss World Festival.”Among the defining aspects of her Miss World campaign is her 'Beauty with a Purpose' project, 'Ekta', which stems from a deeply personal experience. “Well, Project Ekta means oneness. Ever since I was a child, my world has been surrounded by a person who never spoke much. But every day, I saw him struggling, juggling in a society that wasn't built for him. To be able to survive what he was surviving 15 years back and to see the same conditions now, that affected me. And he's facing that relentlessly as a child, to a teenager, to an adult, and now he's 50, a senior citizen. He still faces remarks such as abnormal, mental, psychopath, madman. But people who consider themselves normal are making such abnormal remarks and which is very much ironic to the statement. My purpose began through the question of what would happen to those who don't have the same support as my uncle, who don't come from stable financial backgrounds, or whose family doesn't accept them. That question became my purpose, and that purpose is now Project Ekta. I aim to build an incredible, inclusive, and independent community where they're independent physically, they're independent mentally, and they're independent financially.”She believes that 'Ekta' can redefine how society views and treats differently-abled individuals. “I'll change the perceptions that inclusivity is not just about the heart, it's not about making spaces at the tables because of sympathy, but it's about celebration of uniqueness, and it should not be done out of sympathy or charity, because rather you do it because you believe that they are like you. I'm sure that through Project Ekta, it will be possible. With this project, we aim for a place where ramps are built in the buildings without reminders, where dignity is not debated, and I hope that no child is told that you can't even before asking what you dream of. So I hope that world is possible, and I will do my level best to make that world possible through Project Ekta.”On the fashion front, Nandini will be honoring India's heritage in a Rohit Bal creation for the World Designer Award. “Well, India is known as a cultural canvas, and to be able to represent a designer's vision, a craftsman's hard work and labor, and the experience and the heritage that has been passed on to us from years and centuries, and out about. To be able to wear that on the global stage, but it's a moment of responsibility, it's a moment of pride, and it's a moment of great support that Indian designers have a vision like that. And I hope that with Rohit Bal's creation from its last collection, I am wearing a beautiful outfit that showcases India's heritage, India's craftsmen are artisans who often remain behind the scenes. I hope that I give them the spotlight where they get more employment, where their art is cherished, because an artisan not only puts their centuries of experience, but also their love and warmth. And I hope that I can reflect that back onto them. I wish that Rohitwal, when I wear that outfit, he'll be happy to see me in it, from heaven, and that's my way to pay tribute to him.”Looking beyond the crown, Nandini has ambitious plans in entertainment and entrepreneurship. “Well, if given an opportunity, I would definitely love to go into the field of acting and modeling. If it's Bollywood, if it's Tollywood, I am open to all the opportunities if they come my way. Even after that, I want to have my own sustainable lab-grown diamond business, one that reflects not just beauty, but ethical values too. I hope that my business runs on three E's, which are ethical, empowering, and elegant. I hope that it not only thrives, but also gives back to society with integrity. Yes, if the opportunities are amalgamated beautifully, I'll be able to handle both something I love, which is being in front of the camera, and also having something of my own, a diamond business, because diamond is a girl's best friend.”As the world tunes in to watch the crowning of the next Miss World, Nandini Gupta stands tall as a symbol of modern Indian womanhood—intelligent, passionate, and driven by purpose. With the weight of 1.4 billion dreams behind her, she steps onto the world stage not just as a contestant but as a voice of hope and a beacon for change.

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