"I will use this as a platform to influence people's thoughts and actions," she said as she collected the coveted crown and a cheque for £70,000 from last year's winner, Yukta Mookhey, also from India.
Ms Chopra, the bookies' pre-pageant favourite, who covets a career as a clinical psychologist, went on to cite Mother Teresa as the greatest influence on her life so far.
"I admire her from the bottom of my heart for being so passionate and kind ... giving up her life to put smiles on people's faces," said Ms Chopra, India's fifth Miss World. In second place was Giorgia Palmas, 18, from Italy.
Despite entries from all the home countries none of the British contestants managed to make the semi-finals last night.
Last night's ceremony, hosted by the talk show host Jerry Springer, featured video footage of the swimwear discipline recorded two weeks ago in the Maldives, a more glamorous location, according to the organisers, than Greenwich.
Around 200 people from the National Union of Students' women's campaign brandished placards and yelled slogans to disrupt the competition.
Press Association
