India has secured 10th position at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, winning 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence at the 48th WorldSkills Competition held in Shanghai, China. The result marks an improvement from India’s 13th-place finish at WorldSkills Lyon 2024, where the country won four Bronze Medals and 12 Medals for Excellence.
With its largest-ever contingent of 70 competitors participating across 63 skills, India’s performance highlights the growing participation of young Indians in advanced technologies, manufacturing, engineering, creative industries and specialised services.
India at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026
WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 was held from 22 to 27 September 2026, bringing together more than 1,400 young competitors from around 70 countries and regions.
India’s 70-member contingent competed across 63 skill categories. Following four days of competition from 23 to 26 September, the winners were recognised at the closing ceremony in Shanghai on 27 September.
India’s 10th-place finish represents an improvement over its performance at WorldSkills Lyon 2024, where the country ranked 13th.
Six Silver Medals for Team India
Indian competitors won six Silver Medals across a diverse range of skill categories:
- Bakery: Smriti Nambiar
- Dental Prosthetics: Mohammed Salam
- Digital Interactive Media Design: Kovid Ajay Gangrade
- Industrial Design Technology: Parth Vohra
- Logistics and Freight Forwarding: Mehrunissa Begum
- Retail Sales: Saniya Joshi
The medals span creative, technical and service-sector occupations, reflecting the range of skills represented by the Indian contingent.
Smriti Nambiar, who won the Silver Medal in Bakery, was also recognised as Best of Nation for India.
India wins 20 Medals for Excellence
In addition to the six Silver Medals, Indian competitors received 20 Medals for Excellence across technical, industrial, digital, creative and service-oriented skills.
The Medal for Excellence recognises competitors who demonstrate a high level of professional proficiency against internationally established WorldSkills standards.
The Indian recipients included competitors in areas such as:
- Intelligent Security Technology
- Mechatronics
- Mobile Applications Development
- Electrical Installations
- Autonomous Mobile Robotics
- Jewellery
- Fashion Technology
- Automobile Technology
- IT Network Systems Administration
- Graphic Design Technology
- Health and Social Care
- Industry 4.0
- Chemical Laboratory Technology
- Additive Manufacturing
- Robot Systems Integration
Team India debuts in 11 new skill categories
One of the significant highlights of India’s participation at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 was its debut in 11 new and emerging skill categories.
These included:
- Dental Prosthetics
- Digital Interactive Media Design
- Intelligent Security Technology
- Landscape Gardening
- Optoelectronic Technology
- Retail Sales
- Unmanned Aerial Systems
- Industrial Mechanics
- Software Testing
- Heavy Vehicle Technology
- Aircraft Maintenance
The new categories reflect the changing requirements of the labour market and the growing importance of technology-driven and specialised occupations.
Women’s Representation at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026
Women’s participation was another notable feature of India’s WorldSkills contingent.
Women competitors represented India across technical, creative and service-oriented skills, including Chemical Laboratory Technology, Logistics and Freight Forwarding, Fashion Technology, Visual Merchandising, Health and Social Care and Hospitality.
Their participation reflects the expanding opportunities for women in vocational education, technical training and skill development.
What WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 means for India’s skilling ecosystem
The competition offered Indian competitors and experts an opportunity to gain exposure to global occupational standards, emerging technologies and international best practices.
According to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the learnings from the competition can contribute to stronger training methodologies, improved assessment standards and deeper industry engagement.
The experience therefore extends beyond the competition itself. Exposure to international benchmarks can help inform how skills are taught, assessed and aligned with changing industry requirements in India.
Building future-ready skills through global benchmarking
India’s participation at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 was coordinated by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), with support from Sector Skill Councils, industry partners, training institutions, technical experts and other stakeholders.
The performance of Team India also highlights the importance of sustained preparation, specialised training, mentorship and international benchmarking in developing globally competitive skills.
As India continues to expand its skilling ecosystem, platforms such as WorldSkills provide an opportunity to understand how occupational standards and skill requirements are evolving globally.
Strengthening India’s Skills Ecosystem
The results at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 go beyond the six Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence. The participation of 70 young Indians across 63 skills demonstrates the breadth of India’s vocational and technical talent.
The competition also provides insights that can contribute to improving training, assessment and industry engagement in India.
For India’s skilling ecosystem, the focus now extends from participation and recognition to translating international exposure into stronger training practices and future-ready skills.
