Bhubaneswar: Ananya Panda from Odisha has advanced into the final round of 60th Femina Miss India beauty pageant 2024.
She is among the state winners, who will compete at the grand finale scheduled to be held in Mumbai in October.
The rigorous nationwide selection process, which spanned five months, included online screenings followed by a tour of each zone of the country, namely North (Delhi-NCR), East (Kolkata), North East (Guwahati), South (Bengaluru), West (Mumbai). The Top 5 finalists from each state were shortlisted and invited to Mumbai for the mega auditions, where the state winners (30) were selected, each representing an Indian state (29 including Delhi) and a common representative for the Union Territories (1), making it to a batch of 30 contestants.
This was Ananya’s second try at the pageant. Though she made it to the Top 5 list, she could not win the crown from Odisha last year. “I was new to the industry. I had not done any photo shoot and lacked social media presence, which was equally important. I also worked on my public speaking skills and took my fitness seriously. These along with a strong stage presence helped me to make a mark,” she told a local channel.
She was selected among the best five contestants in the east zone in the first audition of the beauty pageant held in Kolkata on August 8.
In Mumbai, there was a question-answer round and she was then picked among the five and crowned as Femina Miss India Odisha 2024 on August 14. “I was every nervous the last time. But this time I had some experience and was prepared for the onslaught of questions. I was confident,” she said, adding that she underwent a pageant training course in 2022.
Priyanka Chopra, who was crowned Miss World 2000, has been an inspiration for her. “Though my family stressed on academic excellence, they did not discourage me from participating in pageants which was a childhood dream. When I took up a job in 2022, I became all the more determined to take the plunge,” she said.
Ananya, daughter of retired Indian Navy officer Siddhartha Panda and Anjana Panda of Cuttack, is currently working as a Business Analyst in Citi Corporation in Bengaluru, She completed her schooling from DPS Kalinga and graduation in Economics from Ferguson College in Pune. She did her Masters in Economics from Delhi School of Economics.
The Femina Miss India 2024 state winners will be participating in a boot camp, which will include a host of activities such as training programs, digital content shoots, promotional visits, subtitle competitions, personal interview rounds, and an awards night ceremony, culminating in the grand finale coronation night.
How Miss India Organisation Describes Her:
“From the land of ancient temples and timeless art, we proudly crown the new Femina Miss India Odisha 2024 Ananya Panda! She embodies the grace and strength of Odisha, ready to make her mark on the national stage!
Ananya is an adventurous spirit who thrives on exploring new horizons, immersing herself in activities like trekking, diving, snorkeling, and bouldering. Beyond her love for the outdoors, she excels in her corporate career while remaining deeply committed to health and wellness as a fitness enthusiast, certified functional nutritionist, and 200-hour yoga instructor. A passionate reader, Ananya continually seeks personal growth and self-discovery, embracing every opportunity to expand her understanding of herself and the world.”
