Hyderabad: Pranathy Gangaraju of Georgia has been crowned Miss India USA, 2014. Ms Raju is the first 19-year-old to win the title and she is also the first Telugu girl in the last 20 years to be crowned Miss India USA.

This year’s finals of the oldest running Indian pageant outside India, were held at the Royal Albert’s Palace, Fords, in New Jersey. Film actor Richa Gangopadhyay had won the pageant in 2007.

Ms Raju was born in Hanamkonda in Warangal. Her mother, Maitreyi Sharma, hails from there. Her father, Ram Gangaraju, who owned a software company earlier, hails from Vijayawada. Ms Raju was raised in Vijayawada before she moved to the US. She is currently a student in Los Angeles.

Speaking to DC from the US, Mr Ram Gangaraju said, “She worked hard to keep herself fit. She speaks Telugu well and is a great Kathak dancer.”

She will represent USA in the 24th Annual Miss India Worldwide Pageant to be held in Goa in June 2016.

Pranathy has inner beauty too. She is down to earth with no arrogance. She loves to watch Bollywood and Tollywood movies.”

“Pranathy is majoring in Film Acting and Production in Less Strsberg School of Acting and Theater, which produced stalwarts like Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn, Scarlett Johannson, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino and others.

Her hobbies include dancing, singing, writing and swimming. She will represent USA in the 24th Annual Miss India Worldwide Pageant to be held in Goa in June 2016.”

Commenting on her success, Pranathy said, “I would like to thank my mom and dad for believing in me and knowing that I could make it.” Pranathy also won the Miss Beautiful Smile title.