Selected on a Jaipur stage

Niharika's journey to the national title ran through Jaipur itself. The Miss Fusion India grand finale, which selects India's representative for The Miss Globe, was held at Anant Mahal in the city in August. Niharika finished as first runner-up, while the title went to Aditi Bhatnagar. After Aditi was unable to continue for undisclosed reasons, the organisers handed the responsibility to Niharika. Miss Fusion India confirmed the decision through an official announcement on its Instagram handle.

A Jaipur family, a Jaipur campus

Niharika is a first-year LLB student at Jaipur National University. Her father, Ajit Singh Rathore, is in the property business, and her mother, Meenakshi Rathore, is a homemaker.

She had earlier competed in Miss Rajasthan, also held in Jaipur, but a leg injury kept her from achieving the result she had hoped for. She returned to the stage through Miss Fusion India.

City designers and mentors behind her preparation

Much of her preparation for the international stage is happening in Jaipur. National directors Yogesh Mishra and Nimisha Mishra said Jaipur-based fashion designers are creating her national costume, gowns and outfits for other rounds, combining Rajasthan's traditional heritage with modern fashion. Her international training is being handled by Fusion Pageant Training Academy and Shailza Suri, with focus on stage presence, communication skills and personality development.

India's second crown in sight

India has won The Miss Globe once before, when Dimple Chetan Patel took the title in 2016. Now Jaipur will be watching closely as one of its own competes in Phuket for the country's second crown.