Crowning glory: Navdeep Kaur of Mohali blooms through adversity

Raised amid fighter jets, air shows and disciplined postings across India, Navdeep Kaur learnt early that resilience is a way of life. The 36-year-old drugs control officer from Mohali, daughter of a retired Indian Air Force officer, has now added a new chapter to her journey — finishing the first runner-up at the prestigious Mrs Supranational 2025 after winning Mrs India Supranational 2024, becoming the first Indian woman to secure the international title for the country.

Born into an Air Force family, Navdeep grew up across Pathankot, Kerala, Rajasthan, Meghalaya and Gujarat, absorbing cultures, languages and values along the way. “I grew up dreaming of serving India,” she told The Tribune. A natural all-rounder, she excelled in academics and extracurricular activities — winning national awards in painting, including Balachitra Ratna Award, clearing Science Olympiads and UNESCO exams, leading as school captain and emerging top in Scouts and Guides in the northeast region while studying in Shillong. By the age of six, she had already become the youngest radio jockey on the All India Radio.

Her parents’ toughest lesson came when she was sent alone from Gujarat to Punjab for college. “They told me — if you can reach Punjab on your own, you will succeed in life,” she recalled. At Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, Navdeep stayed among the academic toppers while pursuing her passion for dance and fashion, winning Miss Fresher. In her final year, she cracked the Punjab Public Civil Services examination to become one of the youngest drugs control officers in the state. She has since been awarded four times by the Punjab Government for exemplary service and is currently posted in Fatehgarh Sahib district.

Life, however, tested her beyond measure. A brief stint on Mumbai television — working with channels like DD, Sony and Colors — was followed by her return to public service. Then came personal upheavals: separation in marriage, raising her five-year-old son as a single mother and a devastating backbone injury that left her bedridden for six months. “I was told on the surgery table that I might never walk again,” she said. “But I chose positivity. I trained myself back to double strength.” She also battled the Covid crisis at home, when her son and mother tested positive and her mother suffered a brain stroke. “I never gave up. She walked out of the ICU,” said Navdeep.

Even amid these trials, Navdeep turned to purpose. She joined NGOs, including Niranjana Foundation and Sapt Sindhu, working for widows, single women, special children and cultural revival. “From the Mrs India Supranational stage, I learnt the art of giving happiness,” she said.

Her crowning moment came in Goa at the Taj Vivanta, Panjim, where the Mrs Supranational 2025 finale was held on December 2 under the Supranational Organisation, directed by Zoya Shiraz. Competing against participants from 25 countries, Navdeep finished first runner-up, with Russia winning the title. She also bagged the Best National Costume Award, portraying the lotus as a symbol of Indian womanhood blooming through adversity, and the Mrs Global Ambassador Award.

Balancing duty, passion and motherhood remains her daily discipline. “My day starts at 5 am — with gratitude, the gym, preparing my son for school, office work and then giving him my first hour of attention,” she said, adding: “Profession is what I earned with time; pageantry is my passion. Where there is will, there is a way.”

Navdeep’s message is as direct as her life story: believe in yourself, never procrastinate, have the courage to say no to wrong, and for the youth — say no to drugs. “I want to be a role model for single mothers who have lost hope,” she said. “If your will is strong and your mindset positive, nothing is impossible,” she added.