Manasa Varanasi, who was crowned the winner of VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020 on Wednesday, was a shy child but took to various art forms to express herself.

The 23-year-old engineering graduate from Hyderabad, who will represent the country at the Miss World 2020 pageant in December later this year, is working as financial information exchange analyst.

She was shy child but took keen interest in Bharatnatyam and music to express herself. Her interests include reading, yoga, music and staring at the sky.

She studied at Global Indian School and did her degree from Vasavi College. She now enjoys exploring the world of finance with her much adored teammates.

During her college days, she used to participate in pageants. She started focusing on modeling when she was 21.

According to Manasa, her parents had reservations about her taking part in beauty pageant. Her grandmother was not happy with her but with the time they not only accepted it but started supporting her.

According to the three most influential people in her life are her mother, grandmother and sister.

According to information on Miss India website, Manasa is inspired by Bollywood actress and Miss World 2000 Priyanka Chopra.

"Priyanka Chopra really stands out to me because she's an explorer - she has always chosen to push her boundaries and made her mark in various spaces - music, movies, entrepreneurship, social work and the list goes on. Also, as a shy kid who tried to make herself heard, I always looked up to Priyanka for the outspoken badass that she was. It's her versatility and strength that I draw inspiration from," shared Manasa.

Manasa thinks of herself as a free-spirited, curious, and ambivert person.

Not much visible on social media, she shares photos about her personal life on Instagram. On winning the crown, Manasa believed her hard work and determination has paid off. She used the lockdown time to prepare for the pageant. She worked on personality and on ramp walk.

The 5.9 feet tall focuses more on health and fitness. "I am an early bird so I like to wake up at 6 a.m. to a warm glass of water and plant therapy post which I visualize the day ahead so I know what I am focusing my energy on."

She listens to music to boost mood on days when she feels low "I listen to music, call up friends converse. Sometimes it helps to take a step back take deep breath and realize this moment will pass."

Manasa likes travelling and north east is her favourite vacation destination. She said her relatives keep sharing beautiful pictures from northeast. "Right now I am dying to just pack my bags and catch next flight to the northeast."