Riona Krishnan Dighe, 18, won the Miss Teen Universe Asia 2026 title in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, after competing against more than 30 delegates. She also received the Miss Popular Choice award, which was decided by online public voting.

Her pageant platform centered on children’s education and access to learning, building on charity work she started when she was 11. For the talent round she performed a traditional Peranakan dance to showcase Singapore’s heritage.

Beyond the stage, Dighe has spent two years working on artificial intelligence research. She applied natural language processing techniques to Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness framework, guided by a mentor from Cornell University.

The project took her to Bhutan, where she presented her findings at local schools. During these visits she spoke to children about how AI could help their country’s development.

Riona’s story illustrates how a teenage beauty queen can simultaneously champion education and push forward cutting‑edge AI research. Her achievements suggest that young people can influence both social causes and scientific fields.