Miss India New York is produced by the IFC based in New York City.The IFC first began its first annual “India Festival” in Central Park, New York, in 1974. An integral component of these festivals was the immensely popular “Fashion Show,” which IFC was the first to provide to the Indian and American communities.
By 1979, the “Fashion Show” had become so popular that it was proposed to start the first ever MISS INDIA USA Pageant from 1980. The various groups/organizations in the major cities of USA were contacted to start Indian Pageants in different states and send the winner to New York to compete for Miss India USA. The responsibility of organizing Indian pageant in the tri-state area was taken by IFC itself, which organized the first ever Miss India New York in 1980.
Starting from the basement of Air-India with an audience of twenty people, we have come a long way! Air-India has remained our staunch supporter from day one and helped us tremendously in our growth internationally.
Incidentally, our first Miss India New York, Richa Sharma, who later married actor Sanjay Dutt, was taken by the legendary actor/producer Dev Anand as heroine in his movie “Hum Navjawaan.” Some past participants of the Miss India New York pageants have achieved stardom in Indian and American movies, television and modeling careers.
Winner/winners of Miss India New York qualifies to enter the Miss India USA Pageant which IFC has been organizing annually since 1980. The winner of Miss India USA represent USA in The Miss India Worldwide Pageant which IFC is organizing since 1990 and which has been acclaimed as “the most glamorous Indian function in the world.”