MANILA, Philippines — India's Rachel Gupta won the Miss Grand International crown, a first for her country, besting 67 other contestants during the pageant's coronation night on Friday in Bangkok, Thailand, while the Philippines' Christine Juliane Opiaza was first runner-up.
Completing the final five were second runner-up Thae Su Nyeim of Myanmar, Safietou Kabengele of France, 3d runner-up and Talita Hartmann of Brazil, 4th runner-up.
During the Q&A portion, the Top 5 delegates were asked the question, "What do you think is the most critical issue in the world today that needs to be resolved, and what solutions do you propose?"
Gupta, a 20-year-old model, said, "I believe the most critical issue the world is facing today is poverty due to overpopulation and lack of resources. Simply put, there isn't enough for everybody on this planet. I think it's time for world leaders to take accountability and to start promoting the idea of enough resources for everybody. We can do this by promoting birth control methods in the different countries," she said.
"I come from a country, India, where not everybody has access to food, water, education, and basic amenities and this is true for most of the world. It's time for us to stop fighting each other and start respecting one another and making sure that we have enough resources for everyone in this planet," she added.
Meanwhile, Opiaza, who stunned in a silver sequin evening gown with a flowy white cape by Filipino designer Mak Tumang, answered, "The most pressing issue that we have today is of course the presence of civil war and violence. We can see all around [the] media that there are people dying, people suffering; you can see the kids crying, their dreams are being shattered; how our differences make us divided."
"I collect you all as you leave this place today to bring much more kindness, respect, and treat one another as human. We live in the same world, we breathe the same air, we are living in the same place. Treat one another as your brothers and sisters," she said.
The Miss Grand International crown remains elusive for the Philippines. In 2016, Nicole Cordoves also finished the pageant as 1st runner-up and Samantha Bernardo in 2020.
Gupta was previously crowned Miss Grand India 2024 and Miss Super Talent of the World 2022.