Suman Rao

Suman Ratan Singh Rao (born 23 November 1998) is an Indian model and beauty pageant title holder who was crowned Femina Miss India 2019[1][2] She represented India at the Miss World 2019 pageant in ExCeL London in United Kingdom, and was crowned as the 2nd runner-up and as Miss World Asia.[3]

Suman Rao
Born	Suman Ratan Singh Rao (1998-11-23) November 23, 1998 Aidana, Rajsamand Rajasthan, India
Alma mater	University of Mumbai
Occupation	Model beauty pageant titleholder
Title	Femina Miss India 2019 Miss World Asia 2019
Beauty pageant titleholder
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Brown
Major competition(s)	Femina Miss Rajasthan 2019 (Winner) Femina Miss India 2019 (Winner) Miss World 2019 (2nd Runner-up)

Early life and education

Suman Rao was born on 23 November 1998 in Aaidana village, Rajsamand District, near Udaipur, Rajasthan.[4] Her father, Ratan Singh Rao, is a jeweller, while mother Sushila Kunwar Rao is a homemaker. She has two brothers, Jitendra and Chirag.[5] Her family moved to Mumbai when she was a year old. She did her schooling at Mahatma School of Academics and Sports in Navi Mumbai and is pursuing Chartered Accountancy course from the Institute of chartered accountants of india.[5][6] She is fluent in English and Hindi, in addition to her mother tongue Mewari.[7] She is also a trained Kathak dancer.[8]

Pageantry

In 2018, she took part in Miss Navi Mumbai contest, where she was crowned as 1st runner-up.[9] She then auditioned for the title of Femina Miss Rajasthan 2019 which she eventually won. She represented the state of Rajasthan at the Femina Miss India 2019 pageant.[10] On 15 June 2019, she was crowned as Femina Miss India World by the outgoing titleholder Anukreethy Vas at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai.[11][12] During the pageant's sub contest ceremony, she won the 'Miss Rampwalk' award.[13]

Miss World 2019

Rao represented India at the 69th edition of Miss World pageant, where she placed third in the 'Top Model' round and Top 27 in 'Talent' segment.[14] She won the first stage of Head-to-Head Challenge in Group 14, thus qualifying for the succeeding round of the challenge, which was judged by Piers Morgan.[15] She competed against Bangladesh in the round, where she won and secured a spot in the Top 40 of Miss World 2019.[16]

Rao's Beauty with a Purpose project was also selected in the Top 10.[17] Her campaign is titled ‘Project Pragati’, for which she took initiatives to help the dreams of women in tribal communities by assisting them in acquiring financial independence. She procured machines which aids in the production of aloe vera and rose extracts, gels and shampoo. Thereby, the women could manufacture the products and earn their livelihood from within their village.[18] Her project received support from the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation and through this institution, the women were trained to make handlooms, decorative handicrafts, accessories and jewellery. These products are sold near the Jaipur City Palace and also through an online website.[19] Further, she associated with the Bharat Sevashram Sangha, a non profit organization backed by the United Nations, for an even wider reach of their products.[20][21]

The pageant's grand finale was held in ExCeL London, United Kingdom, on 14 December 2019, and Rao won the 2nd runner-up title to the eventual winner, Toni-Ann Singh from Jamaica.[3] She is the first Indian woman to win the 2nd runner-up title at Miss World.[22]

References

1. "Femina Miss India 2019: Suman Rao was crowned Miss India World 2019, Shivani Jadhav Miss Grand India and Shreya Shanker Miss India United Continents". Indian Express. 16 June 2019.
2. "Who is Suman Rao? Check out the Miss India 2019's 7 most stunning photos". Times Now. 16 June 2019.
3. "Miss World 2019 winner is Miss Jamaica Toni-Ann Singh, India's Suman Rao is second runner-up". India Today. 14 December 2019.
4. "My community sees me as a ray of hope: Miss India winner Suman Rao". The Pioneer. 18 June 2019.
5. Neha Chaudhary (18 June 2019). "fbb Colors Femina Miss India World 2019 Suman Rao: 'Even though I live in Mumbai, I have not forgotten my roots'". The Times of India.
6. "Miss India 2019, Suman Rao contestant profile". ETimes. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
7. Shukla, Richa (26 August 2019). "Suman Rao, 'My Miss India journey began from the Pink City'". The Times of India.
8. Reiher, Andrea (11 December 2019). "Suman Rao, Miss India World 2019: 5 Fast Facts to Know".
9. "5 lesser-known facts about Suman Rao - the Indian contestant at Miss World 2019". Times Now. 12 December 2019.
10. "Suman Rao from Rajasthan Crowned Miss India 2019". News18. 16 June 2019.
11. "Miss India 2019 winner is Rajastan's Suman Rao". Asian News International.
12. Press Trust of India (16 June 2019). "Suman Rao crowned Miss India World". Deccan Herald.
13. "Fbb Colors Femina Miss India 2019: Sub contest winners". ETimes. 2 June 2019.
14. "Miss World 2019 Results: Talent, Sports & Top Model". 12 December 2019.
15. "Miss World 2019 in London: All you need to know about the ceremony on December 14". Indian Express. 12 December 2019.
16. "Femina Miss India 2019, Suman Rao's journey at Miss World". beautypageants.in. 12 December 2019.
17. "Miss World 2019 Beauty With a Purpose Finalists: Suman Rao Makes It to Top 10 List Ahead of the Finale Night, Meet the Contestants With Names". 12 December 2019.
18. "Miss India 2019, Suman Rao in Udaipur". Udaipur Times. 26 June 2019.
19. "Miss India 2019, Suman Rao, Teams Up With Princess Diya Kumari Foundation For Her Project Pragati". Retrieved 25 November 2019.
20. "Beauty with a good heart". The Hans India. 19 September 2019.
21. "Miss India 2019, Suman Rao's Beauty with a Purpose project for Miss World 2019". The Times of India. 10 December 2019.
22. Bhavya Mehta (15 December 2019). "Rajasthan's Suman Rao Does India Proud, Wins 2nd Runner-Up Title At Miss World 2019". Retrieved 9 March 2020.

External links

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Nicolene Limsnukan	Miss World Asia 2019	Incumbent
Preceded by Anukreethy Vas	Femina Miss India 2019	Incumbent
Preceded by Nikita Soni	Femina Miss Rajasthan 2019	Incumbent