Sapna Malhotra, Mrs India Worldwide - Mrs Luxembourg 2024;
Sapna Malhotra, a resident of the Grand Duchy, secured the Haut Monde (HM) Mrs India Worldwide - Mrs Luxembourg title earlier this month.
HM Mrs India Worldwide is a leading beauty pageant in India, open in particular to married women born in India. The grand finale of Season 13 took place in the United Arab Emirates on 9 May 2024, when Mousumi Sinha Dutta was named HM Mrs India Worldwide. Among the "country-wise winners", it was Sapna Malhotra who brought home the prestigious title for Luxembourg.
Chronicle.lu had the opportunity to speak with this year's HM Mrs India Worldwide - Mrs Luxembourg about this achievement.
Chronicle.lu: Please tell us a bit about your background and confirm when and why you moved to Luxembourg.
Sapna Malhotra: I am Sapna Malhotra, and I am beyond excited to share my recent Haut Monde (HM) Mrs India Worldwide pageant 2024 - Mrs Luxembourg win with you all.
I grew up in Kolkata in India, where I obtained my undergraduate degree in English Honours from St Xavier’s College and a postgraduate degree in Public Relations. Thereafter, I obtained an MBA in Marketing from the Nanyang Business School in Singapore. I have been working in public relations, learning and development and communications for several years in India, Singapore, China and now in Luxembourg. I moved to Luxembourg in 2007, joining ArcelorMittal. I currently work at ArcelorMittal as the Head of Internal Communications for ArcelorMittal Europe.
Chronicle.lu: You recently won the Haut Monde Mrs India Worldwide 2024 Luxembourg title. What inspired you to enter the pageant? Had you previously participated in a similar event/competition?
Sapna Malhotra: Yes, I recently won the HM Mrs India Worldwide - Mrs Luxembourg 2024 title at the grand finale held in Dubai, becoming the first married Indian woman in Luxembourg's history to win the crown for my home country Luxembourg.
You know, there's something truly magical about realising that age is just a number. I believe that you can achieve anything, as long as you dream big and work tirelessly to make those dreams a reality. It's this belief that led me to challenge myself on the wrong side of 50! I never applied to any pageant when I was younger, and I applied to the HM Mrs India Worldwide pageant last August.
Chronicle.lu: Please tell us a bit about the pageant itself and what was involved (the process, tasks/tests, etc.).
Sapna Malhotra: The HM Mrs India Worldwide is an international beauty pageant for married, single or divorced Indian women living in India or any other country worldwide. This is an annual event since 2011. This year was the 13th year and 50,000 women applied to the pageant and after several video and physical auditions, 104 were selected for the grand finale in Dubai. The finalists were marked on several parameters and tasks which included social media presence, ramp walk, charity work, evening gown round, saree round, swimwear round and the final question and answer rounds. We were also marked on timeliness, leadership skills and teamwork including poise, charm and grace.
Chronicle.lu: What does winning this title mean to you?
Sapna Malhotra: Winning this title feels great, especially as I became the first-ever married Indian woman to win the crown for Luxembourg, thus making both Luxembourg and India proud! Competing with women, some of whom were less than half my age, reiterated my belief that age is just a number and you can dream big at any age if you are determined and work hard.
Chronicle.lu: What is next for you as Mrs India Worldwide - Luxembourg 2024? Any specific duties/tasks you will be carrying out in this role?
Sapna Malhotra: Well, there are no specific duties assigned to me, but I wish to inspire other women to dream big and achieve their dreams irrespective of age. Being an avid believer in holistic living which includes physical and mental wellbeing, I would like to continue to be an advocate on a healthy lifestyle, influencing others by promoting mental resilience and holistic living.
