New Delhi: India will play host to the much awaited 71st edition of Miss World from Feb. 18 to Mar. 9. The announcement was made at press conference attended by the current Miss World Karolina Bielawska (Poland) along with former winners Toni Ann Singh (Jamaica), Vanessa Ponce De Leon (Mexico), Manushi Chhillar (India) and Stephanie Del Valle (Puerto Rico),` yesterday.

With its latest edition, the coveted international beauty pageant is making a return to the country after nearly three decades. India has previously hosted the international pageant in 1996.  The pageant will commence with “The Opening Ceremony” and “India Welcomes the World Gala” by the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) in New Delhi on February 20 and will conclude with a grand finale at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai on March 9 and will be streamed and telecast across the world.

The pageant will unfold across various venues, including the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and will see 120 contestants from countries across the globe participate in various competitions and charitable initiatives.

“My love for India is no secret and having the 71st Miss World Festival in this country means a lot to me. A big thank you to Jamil Saidi for his Herculean efforts to make this return to India a reality. We have assembled the very best team for the 71st edition,” Julia Morley, Chairman and CEO of the Miss World Organisation, said in a statement.

Manushi Chhillar was the most recent Indian to win the pageant in 2017. Earlier, Reita Faria Powell (1966), Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas (2000) had won the competition. Sini Shetty, a native of Karnataka and Femina Miss India World 2022 will represent India at the  prestigious pageant.