Riya Basnet from Nepal rose to fame when she represented her province; Kathmandu at Miss Nepal 2019 and was crowned Miss Earth Nepal 2019 at the end of the event finale. She represented Nepal at Miss Earth 2019 later that year and was acknowledged for her performance during the competition. Riya is 24-years-old and stands 171 cm tall. Riya’s confidence and delegation seem like a potential one that the one Miss Universe’s stage requires. She can be a strong contender for the title of Miss Universe in the future.
Born in Kathmandu’s Bagmati Pradesh, Nepal, Riya has a degree of Bachelors in Business Administration from Kathmandu University School of Management. She is also a member of the Leo Club of Kathmandu. She was selected and further carried competition because of her good elocution, beauty, and motivated personality.
She is also an Environmental Activist and founding member of a non-profit company named ‘Young Roots’. This company particularly works for the promotion of eco-friendly physical structure. Riya along with her team members have developed two projects “Zero Waste School and Zero Waste Homes” in order to spread awareness about waste management. The team spread awareness by encouraging school into a zero-waste school through upcycling, composting, and educating all stakeholders at school to reduce the production of waste, and zero waste homes through our innovative ideas and programs. During her stint at Miss Earth 2019, Riya shot her Eco Video at Helambu in Sindhupalchok district where she organized a community workshop to interact with the locals and discuss the possibilities of making the beautiful district the perfect eco-tourism destination.
Riya Basnet started her career as a model and has participated in several fashion show events in high school and that’s when the diva realized that she feels more empowered and confident on-stage. She started to prepare herself for the competition and participated in Miss Nepal 2019 where she was crowned as Miss Earth 2019. During her stint at Miss Earth 2019 in Manila, Philippines, she was awarded the Miss Popular Choice award. Even though, she holds several beauty pageants she never ventured into the acting career as she states in an interview that she wants to work for women empowerment and women entrepreneurship.
Riya has always worked for the betterment of society whether it’s the environment of women empowerment. She wants to use the platform given to her to do something that makes an impact on society and help someone who is in need. She usually keeps her followers and fans engaged via her social media account and talks about some of the taboo topics. Recently the diva shared a picture of her with a message that stated the reality of what an acid attack on an everyday normal life might look like. She has been engaging her followers online by staying positive and giving out the same positive energy to them. She stated, “The belief that every dark cloud has a silver lining. The belief that there’s a better world, beyond the horizon. That there’s a new possibility.”
The diva has always been grateful for the opportunities that have come her way and she has performed them with the same amount of dedication and focus. She is hardworking and dedicated toward winning wherever she is. By becoming a beauty queen titleholder, Riya believes that she will be able to inspire other women about their qualities. She believes that women are capable, strong, and able to work for their dreams and goals. The diva who strongly believes that if one works hard and is determined then they can achieve whatever they wish for is a true Miss Universe delegate quality. She has gained experience by collaborating with various designers and brands in Nepal who have finesse her performance on-stage as well as off-stage.
The diva is very close to her family and friends and has always felt that without their support and motivation she wouldn’t be here so, she makes sure to thank them every now and then. Riya is very proud of her culture and describes Nepal as a multilingual, multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multi-religious nation. She states that it has forever been an example of “unity in diversity” as people with different faiths, cultures, have been living harmoniously since ancient times. Riya mentions that her country has taught her to be kind and welcoming to every person she meets.
With her experience, strong opinions, and a clear and focused mind to make the people of her country proud, she clearly states that she is ready to represent Nepal at Miss Universe stage in the future. She is a true example of a beauty queen who is focused, committed and strong-willed to represent her country at an international stage and make the people of the country proud.