For Pune-based Amrita Thappar, who has climbed the ladder of success by winning the Miss India beauty contest, the credit of taking those first steps goes to her mother.

"My mother has been my role model. She has been the one to ensure my steps were slow and steady and led to my goal," Thappar said when posed a question on her role models in life at a media briefing late Monday night.

"Like her, I have always been a positive thinker and I had told myself that even if I did not clinch the crown, I was going to take home positive lessons from the experience", said Thappar, a fashion designer.

On whether as most winners she has her eyes set on films, she said, "I am a creative person and I believe a creative person is one who is flexible and easily adaptable in any field".

"There is nothing wrong in tapping opportunities in Bollywood, but right now that is not the focus. The focus is the international pageant, which has to be won. Besides contests like these throw open various opportunities, which can be tried and explored", Thappar said.

Sindhura Gadde, the New Zealand-based former television anchor and journalist, who won the first runner-up crown, said she wished to conduct research on a natural cure for cancer, adding that the urge had come ‘deep from my heart'.