
In 1994, at the age of eighteen, Sushmita won the title of Miss India beating out Aishwarya Rai . This got her the chance to represent India at the Miss Universe Pageant, held in Manila, Philippines.
At Miss Universe, Sushmita ranked third overall in the preliminaries, right behind preliminary winner Miss Colombia Carolina Gomez, and Miss Greece Rea Totounzi, who ranked second but won the preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competitions. Sushmita went on to place second, fifth and third respectively in the swimsuit, interview and evening gown competitions, placing her in third place behind Miss Colombia and Miss Venezuela Minorka Mercado. All three women went on to be the final three contestants. In the end, the judges placed their votes on Sushmita, making her the first woman from India to become Miss Universe.