Sindhura, currently based in New Zealand, hails originally from Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh. A journalist by profession, she has a double degree in pharmacology and physiology, as well as a modelling diploma.

She elaborates: "I used to be a journalist for a youth news channel called Flipside because we always looked at each story straight and from the flipside! From the angle of 13-28 year olds. It was a fun kind of news, which had hard news stories like Iraq, as well as entertainment stories like 'have Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston really broken up,' and youth issues like suicide or AIDS.

During Sunday night's contest, Sindhura's final answer echoed her wish to find a cure for cancer. She explains, "I wanted to say something that was possible. I'll tell you something personal. Two years ago my grandma passed away due to cancer. We were told there was nothing we could do. Coming from a medical background, I felt helpless. I have done research in chemotherapy, being in pharmacology. I answered from the heart. I truly believe that with a cure for cancer, the world will be a better place."

She's getting a lot of media attention, so are any Bollywood feelers being sent out to her yet? "Bollywood is a great opportunity in its own right, and there's nothing wrong with getting into Bollywood. But our focus right now, our mid-term goal right now, is getting into the international pageants. We've got a year to make our decisions."

What made her enter Miss India? "This pageant is not only the most prestigious pageant in India but it's also the most prestigious pageant overseas. I had exposure to this ever since I was a kid. I always looked up to all these previous beauties, and I thought that having had exposure in all these kind of areas in Australia and New Zealand -- the media and fashion industries, to be specific -- I thought why not come here and check out the Indian market?"

Why not Miss New Zealand, then? "Simple," she laughs, "I'm an Indian at heart. I'm an Indian citizen and have an Indian passport."