Not to be confused with Mister India Pageant organised by Grasim Industries and later Haywards 5000 that sent its winner to Mister World from 1996 to 2012.
In 2016 The Times Group also started the franchise of Mister Supranational India concurrently held with Mr World India.[2] In the first inception Jitesh Thakur was sent to the international pageant where he bagged the position of the 2nd runner up.[3][4]
The current Mister World India is Jitesh Singh Deo of Lucknow. He was crowned on 14 December 2017 in Mumbai.[5] He is expected to represent India at Mister World 2022 as there was no Mister World pageant in 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.[6] Abhi Khajuria and Pavan Rao were declared as 1st Runner-Up and 2nd Runner-Up of Mr. India 2017 respectively.[5]
Adonis-Graviera Contest was held in 1994 to select India's representative to the very first edition of Mister World in 1996.[7] Bikram Saluja won the Adonis-Graviera Contest and represented India at the very first edition of Mister World held in Istanbul, Turkey in 1996.[7] Tom Nuyens won the contest and Bikram finished in top 10.[7] In the same year (1994) Gladrags Manhunt Contest was held in India to represent India at Manhunt International for the very first time. Rajat Bedi won this contest and participated in Manhunt International in 1994. He was subsequently placed as 4th Runner Up in the finale. The second edition of Mister India World was again organised by Graviera. Sachin Khurana from New Delhi won the contest and represented India at Mister World 1998.
Grasim Industries organized the annual pageant franchise from 1994 to 2007 and again from 2010 to 2012 that selected India's representative to Mister World. In 2007, Haywards 5000 took over the franchise for Mister World and organised Haywards 5000 Mr India World 2007 that selected Kawaljit Anand Singh as India's representative at Mister World 2007.[8] However Grasim retook the ownership of franchise in 2010.
The event is held in Mumbai annually. 16 contestants from across India are selected for the annual pageant. Among them one is crowned Mr India who will represent India to the biennial international Mister World and one is crowned Mister Supranational India who will represent India at the annual Mister Supranational held in Poland.[9][3]
Note 1: In 1995 the first ever Mr India pageant was held called Graviera Adnois Man of Year to select India's representative to Mister World. In 1996 the title was changed to Grasim Mr India and the winner of Grasim Mr India 1996, Sachin Khurana represented India Mister World 1998. From 1997 to 2003 the winner of Grasim Mister India represented India at Mr. International.
Note 2: In the years, 2010 and 2012 no runners-up were awarded.[16]
Note 3: IN 2021, due to the pandemic, a virtual pageant was organized to only select the representative to the Mister Supranational pageant.