Nikhil Anand’s journey from being an engineering student to becoming the most successful entrepreneur in the Indian pageant industry

India has produced several successful entrepreneurs and is currently one of the leading nations in the world when it comes to the creation of new entrepreneurial ventures in a variety of sectors. Since the dawn of the decade of 2010, India witnessed a sharp spike in the arrival of new entrepreneurs in the market who went on to create several successful brands. From telecommunication to e-commerce, from hospitality to fashion, from agriculture to FMGC, every sector in India witnessed the arrival of several new faces that made a mark for themselves and also made the nation proud at the international arena. However, when it came to the beauty pageant sector, India did not witness any significant growth or diversification until the mid-2010’s when a visionary personality took his first steps in this fascinating world of glitz and glamour. In the bustling landscape of Indian entrepreneurship, there's a story that resonates deeply with the ethos of ambition, perseverance, and relentless pursuit of dreams. This inspirational journey began from the town of Darbhanga in Bihar and took a dreamer to the dazzling heights of the Indian beauty pageant sector. Today he is regarded as the most successful entrepreneur in the Indian beauty pageant sector. His name, Nikhil Anand, the owner of the world’s biggest beauty pageant franchise in India - Miss Universe and the founder of the India’s biggest pageant organization – the Glamanand Group.

In the early 2010’s, Nikhil moved to New Delhi to pursue his higher education in engineering and today, he is counted amongst the most influential personalities in the Indian pageant industry. Nikhil Anand owns the maximum number of international pageant franchises in India and is the youngest owner of an international beauty pageant. However, he did not inherit all these brands and recognition. He began his journey from the scratch and built the biggest pageant organization in India within a span of 10 years. While the general perspective in regards to a beauty pageant had generally remained confined till entertainment, Nikhil looked at it as a platform to explore newer avenues and provide different opportunities to the youth of the nation. In India, the beauty pageant industry, once perceived solely as a showcase of beauty, has now evolved into a dynamic platform encompassing diversity, empowerment, and social impact. From the iconic Miss Universe to grassroots competitions celebrating local talent, pageants have transcended borders and stereotypes, fostering opportunities for individuals to shine regardless of their backgrounds and Nikhil was amongst one of the first individuals to identify these unexplored facets of the pageant industry in India and utilized them to provide the Indian youth with newer opportunities and platforms.

Since the dawn of Indian pageantry in the 1950’s, only one organization practiced its monopoly in the Indian pageant market however, in the mid-2010’s Nikhil Anand successfully managed to end this monopoly and set an example for other individuals who were initially resentful towards investing in this less-explored territory whose growth remained stagnant for almost 6 decades. Following the mid-2010’s, India witnessed the arrival of several new pageant directors that established different beauty pageants in country with New Delhi and Mumbai remaining the biggest hubs for such events. In 2017, Nikhil became the first Indian to officially launch an international beauty pageant in India named Miss Multinational. The following year, he acquired the rights to organize the biggest teen pageant in the world – Miss Teen International which was created in 1960’s and was dissolved in 2014 (until its revival in 2018). He is the only Indian till date to own a major international beauty pageant. Within a span of 10 years, Nikhil was able to join hands with some of the biggest international pageant brands beginning with Miss Earth (based in the Philippines) followed by Miss International (based in Japan) and Miss Grand International (based in Thailand). He currently holds the licenses of the biggest international brands in the pageant industry including Miss Universe, Miss Grand International (based in Thailand), Miss Asia Pacific International (based in the Philippines), Miss Cosmo International (based in Vietnam), Miss Tourism World (based in China) to mention a few. Alongside that he also owns Mrs. India, Miss Teen Diva, Mr. India Universe and Mister Universe pageants, making him the largest Indian contributor to the international pageant market. Today, the Glamanand Group is famous in India for producing the pageants with extravagant production level and some of the most beautiful Indian pageant winners. While initially the international designers and coaches were absent in the Indian pageant market, Nikhil brought their brands to India, providing a boost to the Indian pageant industry with their contributions, methods and designs.

In a world where beauty pageant industry is often perceived as platform that produces models and actors, Nikhil Anand stands a trailblazer who defied the traditional conventions, broke the long-prevailing stereotypes and made a mark for himself. As the pageant industry continues to evolve, his legacy serves as a testament to the transformative power of entrepreneurship and the enduring allure of beauty in all its forms.