Ministry of Skill Development Launches IndiaSkills Competition 2026-27
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education Shri Jayant Chaudhary launched the IndiaSkills Competition 2026-27 on June 30, 2026. The competition is India's flagship skill competition designed to identify, nurture, and showcase the country's most talented youth across 63 industry-relevant skill categories, including advanced manufacturing, construction, digital technologies, engineering, hospitality, transportation, creative industries, and emerging sectors.
Registrations have opened on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), providing a transparent, accessible digital platform for participation nationwide. The competition follows a structured pathway from District to State and Regional Competitions, culminating in the National Competition. Winners will receive advanced training and assessment before representing India at global platforms including the WorldSkills Competition.
Minister Chaudhary emphasized that IndiaSkills serves as a platform to transform skill into aspiration and excellence into opportunity, preparing youth to be "world-ready" rather than just job-ready. The initiative aims to support India's journey toward becoming the skill capital of the world as industries evolve and technology reshapes the future of work.
Historical Participation and Global Performance
Since its inception in 2016, IndiaSkills has grown significantly from approximately 5,000 registrations across 20 skills to over 3.5 lakh registrations across 63 skills in the 2025-26 cycle, with participation from all 36 States and Union Territories. The competition has strengthened industry-academia collaboration and aligned training with international standards.
India's performance in global skill competitions has improved markedly. At WorldSkills Competition 2024 in Lyon, France, India achieved its best-ever global ranking of 13th, winning 4 Bronze Medals and 12 Medallions for Excellence. The country further improved to 8th position at WorldSkills Asia Competition 2025. Most recently, at the Global Skills Challenge 2026 in Australia, Team India won 3 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze medals across advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, creative industries, and service-sector skills. India will next participate in WorldSkills Competition 2026 in Shanghai.
The Ministry has encouraged all States and Union Territories to maximize participation across skill categories through extensive mobilization efforts involving schools, ITIs, polytechnics, engineering colleges, universities, skill training institutions, and industry partners.