Aryavardhan Dwivedi has been chosen as one of the national finalists of Mr. India Universe 2026. He is a content creator, fitness enthusiast and engineering graduate from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Raised in a military family, he spent his childhood across cities including Siliguri, Delhi, Bengaluru, Amritsar, Belagavi, Jaipur, and Nagpur, developing adaptability and resilience. He graduated in Computer Science and Engineering from Manipal University Jaipur in 2025 and is currently pursuing an MBA at the Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies, Pune. Trained in hip-hop and breakdance at the Shiamak Davar Institute, he is passionate about sports, fitness, adventure, and content creation. During engineering, he was the only B.Tech student selected for ONERIOS-23, the university's prestigious fashion show, and earned a certification in Fashion Systems from Parsons School of Design. At CAIR-DRDO, he developed the AI-powered offline voice chatbot ShivaVaani. Now a Mr India Universe 2026 finalist, Aryavardhan advocates balancing career ambitions with health and fitness, crediting his family's unwavering support for shaping his disciplined, grounded, and purpose-driven outlook. Here is an exclusive interview with him.
Q. You are a national finalist of the Mr. India Universe. How do you feel about it?
Answer: Being a national finalist of Mr. India Universe 2026 is an empowering milestone for me, and it gives me immense pleasure to see the happiness and pride in my parents’ eyes. At the same time, I see this as a platform to grow positively as a person and gain hands-on experience in understanding the journey of becoming Mr. India. I am truly enjoying this learning curve.
Q. What are you most looking forward to in this journey?
Answer: Being part of something at this scale, I am looking forward to the learning, exciting experiences, and transformations that come along with this journey.
Q. Who has been the biggest influence in your life so far?
Answer: The biggest influence in my life has been my father. He has taught me many life lessons by sharing his real-life experiences. In fact, I have unknowingly adopted many of his gestures and mannerisms simply by observing him since childhood. He has always motivated me to try new things without fearing failure, and at times, he pushed me beyond my comfort zone. Even for this event, he was the one who encouraged me to participate while also encouraging me to pursue an MBA alongside it. His encouragement has always brought out the best in me. Apart from him, I feel my sense of dressing and presentation has largely been inspired by my mother. She always takes time to dress elegantly according to the occasion and carries herself with great grace.
Q. What does a typical day in your life look like?
Answer: I always like to begin my mornings by watching the rising sun with the aroma of black coffee. If I am at home, I love spending time with my pet, Sultan. I usually spend 3–4 hours studying, followed by some time on the internet where I stay connected with friends, colleagues, and current trends. I also create content for my social media page. My evenings are mostly dedicated to the gym, sometimes combined with sports like badminton or swimming. Without compromising on my fitness routine, I often replace other activities with casual conversations with my grandfather, spending quality time with my mother, or sharing playful arguments and teasing moments with my younger brother.
Q. What do you enjoy doing when you are completely free?
Answer: When I’m completely free, I enjoy creating content for my Instagram page or watching films and series. If I’m at home, I love playing with my dog and spending time with my family.
Q. If someone met you for a few minutes, what would you want them to remember about you?
Answer: I’d want them to remember me for my refreshing smile and dressing sense. Apart from that, I would want to be remembered as someone who is dependable and always willing to help whenever needed.
Q. What keeps you motivated on the days when things seem difficult or challenging?
Answer: During difficult or challenging times, the teachings of my father always motivate me. He made me believe that a person’s responses and actions during both good and bad phases become the building blocks of the future. I believe every challenging phase teaches us something and prepares us for bigger responsibilities. To me, life is a journey, and the difficult phases make the final destination even more meaningful. So I keep moving forward. The past is gone, the future is unknown, so I believe in learning from the past, preparing for the future, and living the present to the fullest.
Q. What does success look like to you personally?
Answer: For me, success is not about how far you’ve reached, because if you keep measuring yourself against others, there will always be someone further ahead, and eventually that only leads to disappointment. I believe success isn’t about how far you have reached; it’s about how far you have come from where you started. To me, success is becoming someone your past self would barely recognize, yet still look at with pride.
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