Purva is Pond’s Woman of Tomorrow

MUMBAI, DEC 21: Twenty-one-year-old Purva Merchant, a dentistry student from Pune is now the Pond’s Woman of Tomorrow. According to Hindustan Lever Ltd which organised the event, “it was a beauty contest where looks weren’t even a criteria. In fact, it was a statement, saying “That’s the `Woman of Tomorrow’ is one who represents the spirit of achievement in Indian women."Purva was selected from a short-list of 10 girls. There were 5,000 entries in all from places as far off as Sambalpur (Orissa) and Ajmer. What tilted the scales in Purva’s balance was her personality and also her ability to answer all the trick (and often cliched) questions posed by judges Neerja Shah, editor, Elle, actresses, Anita Kanwar and Varsha Usgoankar, and host Omung Kumar with sincerity and elan.

The Pune girl plans to do her Master’s in dentistry in the UK and then turn her attention to "volunteer work with the UN, WHO and non-governmental organisations." She has no plans of entering any beauty contest. Says she, "I enteredthis contest because talent was the only thing on test. While sending our entries, all we were asked were our plans and how we intend to fulfil them."

Purva gets Rs 75,000 in cash, a diamond pendant and other prizes adding up to about a lakh from Ponds.