India Finishes 10th at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 With Six Silver Medals

New Delhi, September 27: India has secured 10th place at the WorldSkills Competition Shanghai 2026, marking a significant improvement in its performance on the global skills stage. The Indian contingent returned with six Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence at the international competition held in Shanghai, China.

The result represents a step forward from India’s 13th-place finish at the WorldSkills Lyon 2024, where the country had won four Bronze Medals along with 12 Medals for Excellence.

The Indian team’s six Silver Medals came from a diverse set of disciplines. Smriti Nambiar won Silver in Bakery, while Mohammed Salam secured the medal in Dental Prosthetics. Kovid Ajay Gangrade finished with Silver in Digital Interactive Media Design, Parth Vohra achieved the same in Industrial Design Technology, Mehrunissa Begum won in Logistics and Freight Forwarding, and Saniya Joshi earned Silver in Retail Sales.

Nambiar was also named India’s Best of Nation, adding another distinction to the country’s medal tally.

The Shanghai edition featured India’s biggest-ever WorldSkills delegation, with 70 competitors taking part in 63 skill categories. The participants competed across areas including advanced manufacturing, emerging technologies, engineering, creative sectors and specialised services.

The six-day event was conducted from September 22 to 27, with the main competitive rounds taking place between September 23 and 26. More than 1,400 young professionals from around 70 countries and regions participated in the competition.

The closing ceremony in Shanghai on September 27 brought together competitors, experts, industry representatives and national delegations to recognise outstanding performances across different occupational categories.

One of the major highlights of India’s participation was its entry into 11 skill categories for the first time. 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 and Aircraft Maintenance.

The expansion into these areas reflects the growing importance of technology-driven and specialised occupations in India’s skills ecosystem.

India also received 20 Medals for Excellence, awarded to competitors who demonstrated professional capabilities that met internationally recognised WorldSkills standards.

Women competitors were another notable part of the Indian delegation. They represented the country across a wide range of disciplines, including Logistics and Freight Forwarding, Chemical Laboratory Technology, Fashion Technology, Visual Merchandising, Health and Social Care, Hospitality and other technical and service-oriented fields.

Their participation highlighted the increasing representation of women in vocational training and specialised skill-based careers.

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary congratulated the competitors, trainers, experts and industry partners associated with Team India.

He said the performance demonstrated the growing competitiveness of India’s skilled workforce and reflected the determination and confidence of young Indians competing internationally.

The minister also emphasised the importance of building a future-ready skilling system that enables Indian youth to meet global occupational standards.

According to Manisha Sensarma, Official Delegate, WorldSkills India and Senior Economic Adviser at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the competition offered Indian participants valuable exposure to international standards, technologies and workplace practices.

The experience, she noted, can help improve training approaches, assessment systems and industry collaboration within India’s broader skill development framework.

India’s participation was coordinated by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, with contributions from Sector Skill Councils, industry partners, training organisations, experts and other stakeholders.

The WorldSkills platform provides young professionals with an opportunity to benchmark their abilities against international competitors while giving participating countries insights into changing industry requirements.

With its improved global ranking, record-sized delegation, six Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence, India’s WorldSkills Shanghai campaign underlined the growing role of vocational education and industry-oriented skills in preparing the country’s young workforce for global opportunities.