The representatives to these pageants are chosen from the pageants Femina Miss India, Glamanand Supermodel India and Miss Diva. The criteria for the Big Four inclusion is based on specific standards such as the pageants global prominence and prestige approved by worldwide media, the quality and quantity of crowned delegates recognized by international franchisees and pageant aficionados, the winner's post pageant activities; the pageants longevity, consistency, and history; the sincerity of the pageant's specific cause, platform, and advocacy; the overall pre-pageant activities, production quality and global telecast; the enormity of internet traffic; and the extent of popularity amongst pageant fans across the globe.
India has been represented in the Big Four international beauty pageants, the four major international beauty pageants for women. These are Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth. India won its first Big Four title when Reita Faria from India bagged the Miss World 1966 title becoming the first Asian to win. In 1994, Sushmita Sen won Miss Universe 1994, becoming the country's first ever Miss Universe titleholder. Later that year, Aishwarya Rai added to the winning streak, picking up the Miss World 1994 title, making India the last country to ever win at both Miss Universe and Miss World, the two most prestigious pageants in the same year in the 20th century. Diana Hayden then won the Miss World title in 1997. Actor and model Yukta Mookhey was later crowned Miss World 1999. Six years after Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai's double wins, Lara Dutta and Priyanka Chopra replicated the feat in 2000, marking the most recent time that any country has won back-to-back at Miss World and, to date, the only time that any country won Miss Universe and Miss World in the same year in the 21st century. India's appearances at the Miss Universe semifinals from 1992 to 2002 made it the first country in the Eastern Hemisphere to place annually at the pageant for at least 10 consecutive years. In 2010, Nicole Faria from Bangalore became the first Indian woman to win the Miss Earth pageant. Manushi Chhillar won the Miss World 2017 title, becoming the most recent Big 4 pageant titleholder from India as of. ;Colour Key × Did not compete ↑ No pageant held
