SUVA, FIJI | 11 August 2026
A new chapter in Fiji’s pageant and cultural landscape was written at the Suva Civic Centre on 1 August, when Sigatoka lawyer and human resources professional Shomal Naidu was crowned the inaugural Miss India South Pacific Fiji 2026.
Naidu emerged from a field of 14 Fiji-Indian women to claim the historic first crown, earning the opportunity to represent Fiji at the Miss India South Pacific Grand Finale in Auckland on 27 September 2026.
For the organisers, however, the Suva event represented something larger than the crowning of one winner. It marked Fiji’s formal entry into a new South Pacific platform connecting Indian communities across Fiji, Australia and New Zealand through culture, fashion, talent, confidence and leadership.
The official Miss India South Pacific platform describes its purpose as creating opportunities for young women of Indian origin to develop confidence, stage presence and cultural identity while representing their communities internationally.
Shomal Naidu takes the inaugural Fiji crown
Naidu, 28, represented Sigatoka and brought an unusual professional combination to the competition: law, human resources, modelling and previous pageant experience.
Her official contestant profile described her journey as one grounded in experience, law and cultural pride.
Following her victory, Naidu said she had not expected to win and was excited about the responsibility of representing Fiji.
The Fiji competition produced a strong group around her.
Khushi Bulsara was named First Runner-Up, while Mannishka Lal finished as Second Runner-Up. Narishma Sharma and Delwyn Kaur completed the Top Five.
Together, the finalists now give the Fiji edition a foundation from which to build its presence within the wider South Pacific competition.
Special titles recognised contestants across several areas of the competition, with Jessica Raj named Miss Potential Model, Violeta Lata named Miss Photogenic, Archana Lata named Miss Popular, Mandeep Kaur named Miss Friendship, and Mannishka Lal receiving Miss Talent.
The result followed a competition structured around five pageant rounds, including traditional Indian presentation through the “Made in India” round, talent, the South Pacific-inspired “Fiji Girl” segment, Q&A and the final crowning presentation.
Fourteen women, rather than a conventional beauty contest
One of the more interesting aspects of the inaugural Fiji edition was the diversity of backgrounds represented by the contestants.
The official Fiji programme presented 14 contestants with backgrounds and interests spanning law, healthcare, finance, education, architecture, entrepreneurship, modelling, cultural performance and community leadership.
That matters because the long-term credibility of a platform such as Miss India South Pacific will depend on whether it can move beyond the conventional perception of pageantry as simply a contest of appearance.
Its Fiji format clearly attempted to do that.
Contestants were required to demonstrate cultural presentation, communication, talent, personality and stage presence. The Q&A component also placed emphasis on the ability to communicate under pressure, an increasingly important part of modern pageantry where winners are expected to become public representatives rather than simply titleholders.
Experienced panel judged inaugural Fiji competition
Three judges brought distinctly different professional perspectives to the Suva stage: Shania Singh, Zulfikhar Ali and Monisha Kumar. The official programme positioned their expertise around media and communication, fashion and presentation, and dance and cultural performance respectively.
Shania Singh brought extensive experience in media, digital communication and entrepreneurship. After beginning her professional journey through Fiji Fashion Week, she moved into television production and presenting before establishing Street Smart Media Fiji. She is also widely known for the comedy character Sanjeshni and has built a substantial digital audience across the South Pacific.
Her experience gave the judging panel a perspective extending beyond physical presentation to how effectively a contestant communicates, builds an authentic public identity and connects with an audience.
Zulfikhar Ali, founder and director of AZA Design Studio, brought more than three decades of fashion experience. His career has included nearly two decades with the Tappoo Group as a fashion buyer and designer before establishing his own studio.
For a competition where styling, cultural clothing and presentation are important components, Ali brought an experienced eye for garment quality, silhouette, confidence and overall stage presentation.
Completing the panel was Fiji-born, New Zealand-based choreographer and dance educator Monisha Kumar.
Kumar is trained in Kathak and serves as Artistic Director of the Monisha Kumar Dance Company as well as Curriculum Leader of Dance at One Tree Hill College in Auckland. Her connection with the Miss India platform stretches back many years, including previous involvement with Miss IndiaNZ.
Her return to Suva therefore carried an additional dimension. It was both a judging assignment and a homecoming for a Fiji-born creative professional who has built much of her career in New Zealand.
Biman Prasad: confidence and inspiration matter
Former Deputy Prime Minister Professor Biman Prasad, who attended the event, also reflected on the broader role of competitions such as this.
Rather than framing pageantry solely around beauty, Prasad spoke about confidence and inspiration, pointing to the contribution young women can make to their countries and communities.
That message was consistent with the direction organisers are attempting to establish for the South Pacific platform: cultural identity combined with confidence, professional ambition and leadership.
Dharmesh Parikh and Rhythm House take the concept across borders
Behind the expansion is Auckland-based Rhythm House Events & Films, led by producer Dharmesh Parikh.
Established in 2002, Rhythm House has worked across cultural events, festivals, pageants and film projects in New Zealand, Australia and the wider South Pacific. It is also the organisation behind Miss IndiaNZ, which has operated as a cultural pageant platform in New Zealand since 2002.
Miss India South Pacific represents a significant expansion of that model.
Instead of operating within a single country, the new platform connects Australia, Fiji and New Zealand, creating national pathways leading towards a regional final.
Its theme, “One Stage. Three Nations. One Movement.”, captures that ambition.
The official platform describes Miss India South Pacific as an international pageant initiative celebrating Indian culture, confidence, fashion, talent and leadership across the three countries.
For Parikh and the Rhythm House team, Fiji therefore was not simply another event on the calendar. Successfully staging the inaugural Fiji competition was an important test of whether a New Zealand-developed cultural platform could translate across the wider South Pacific.
Australia and Fiji now point towards Auckland
The regional picture is also beginning to take shape.
Australia has already crowned Devi Divakala as Miss India South Pacific Australia 2026, with Bhavya Kurelli as First Runner-Up and Sana Bhaskar as Second Runner-Up. Selected Australian finalists are expected to join their Fiji counterparts at the Auckland Grand Finale.
With Fiji’s competition now complete, attention increasingly turns towards Auckland and the 27 September Grand Finale, where contestants representing different parts of the South Pacific Indian diaspora will share one stage.
For Shomal Naidu, that means moving quickly from celebrating a historic national victory to preparing to represent Fiji internationally.
For Fiji, it means having its first representative on a platform that could become considerably larger if organisers succeed in developing the three-country concept.
And there are already ambitions beyond 2026, with organisers opening applications for the 2027 Fiji edition.
Webfit News joins the journey as Media Partner
Webfit News is proud to be associated with Miss India South Pacific as a Media Partner, supporting coverage of a platform bringing communities in Fiji, Australia and New Zealand closer through culture, talent and shared South Pacific identity.
The partnership also gives Webfit News an opportunity to follow the journey beyond individual crowning nights, from the contestants and organisers to the people working behind the scenes to create a genuinely regional cultural platform.
Webfit Solutions Limited is supporting Miss India South Pacific as its Technology Partner, providing the digital foundation behind the platform. The official Miss India South Pacific website identifies Webfit Solutions Limited as the technology provider powering the site.
For Webfit News, there is also a distinctly New Zealand connection to the story. The platform is being produced by an Auckland-based organisation, its Fiji winner is preparing to travel to Auckland, and the South Pacific journey will converge in New Zealand when the Grand Finale takes place on 27 September.
From Suva to Auckland, what began with Fiji’s first national competition is now moving towards its bigger test: whether Miss India South Pacific can establish a lasting cultural bridge between three countries and their Indian diaspora communities.
For Shomal Naidu, that next chapter will begin wearing Fiji’s first crown.
Source note: Event results and statements are based on information supplied to Webfit News, official Miss India South Pacific material and reporting first published by Fiji Sun. Additional platform and contestant information was verified against the official Miss India South Pacific website.
Miss India South Pacific official website
Webfit News | Media Partner, Miss India South Pacific 2026
Webfit Solutions Limited | Technology Partner, Miss India South Pacific 2026
