Miss Universe India finalist returns to Google job in Bengaluru days after pageant

Miss Universe India 2026 finalist Umanga Kumawat has given followers a glimpse of her life after the pageant. Days after making it to the Top 20, the Google Cloud engineer was back at the company’s Bengaluru office, balancing meetings, workouts and coffee breaks with her corporate routine.

For Umanga Kumawat, life after the Miss Universe India 2026 finale did not mean stepping away from her regular job. Instead, the engineer returned to her corporate routine at Google’s Bengaluru office, giving her followers a glimpse of what happens when the pageant spotlight fades.

Kumawat represented Madhya Pradesh at this year’s national pageant and secured a place in the Top 20 among 52 finalists. Kerala’s Kaziah Liz Mejia was crowned Miss Universe India at the finale held in Jaipur on August 23.

On September 14, Kumawat posted a one-minute “day in my life” video on social media, documenting a fairly familiar corporate workday—except for the fact that she had recently walked one of India’s biggest beauty pageant stages.

She captioned the post, “Back to Office after Miss Universe India.” Posted 1 day ago, the video has gathered over 181,000 views and a range of comments praising her.

Her day begins at around 9:30 am with the everyday question of what to wear. She opts for a black top and bright red trousers, packs her laptop and other essentials and heads to the Google campus.

By 10:30 am, she is at the company’s wellness centre for a workout. Her routine includes time on the treadmill, stretching and leg exercises before she switches gears and gets ready for work.

Around noon, the pageant finalist is back at her desk, with her laptop, notebook and work documents in front of her.

Lunch comes at about 2:10 pm. The cafeteria offers several choices, including biryani, fruit and dessert, but Kumawat chooses noodle soup with greens.

She returns to work around 3 pm, then moves to a quieter lounge later in the afternoon. At approximately 4:30 pm, she works from the space overlooking the Google campus.

A coffee break follows at 5:30 pm, before she eventually heads towards the elevator, signalling the end of her workday.

Kumawat’s post offers a different glimpse into life after a beauty pageant. While pageant contestants often pursue modelling, entertainment or other public-facing careers, her professional life remains rooted in technology.

Her story also highlights the increasingly varied paths taken by pageant participants, in which a stint on a national stage can coexist with a conventional corporate career.

For Kumawat, the pageant appears to have been another part of her life rather than a replacement for the career she had already built in the technology sector.

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.