India's Largest Skilled Youth Contingent Flagged Off for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026
The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) hosted a send-off ceremony for India's largest-ever contingent of 70 skilled young competitors who will represent the country at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China from September 22 to 27, 2026. The team will compete across 63 skill categories, showcasing India's capabilities in technical excellence, creativity, precision, innovation, and craftsmanship on the global stage.
New Skill Category Debuts and Participation Details
For the first time, India will compete in 11 new skill categories: 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. This expansion reflects the growing depth and maturity of India's skilling ecosystem, which is moving beyond conventional trades into complex technologies, specialized services, and next-generation industrial capabilities.
Official Support and Sponsorship
Jindal Steel serves as the Official Merchandise Sponsor for Team India's WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 campaign, supporting the ceremonial and competition attire of the Indian competitors. The preparation of Team India has been supported by a wide network of State Governments, Sector Skill Councils, training institutions, industry partners, experts, and mentors who provided specialized facilities, equipment, technical expertise, simulations, and international exposure to help competitors train according to exacting global standards.
India's WorldSkills Performance History
India's performance at international skill competitions has shown consistent improvement, moving from the 29th position in 2015 to the 13th position at WorldSkills Lyon 2024, where the country secured four Bronze Medals and 12 Medallions for Excellence. India also achieved the eighth position in Asia at WorldSkills Asia 2025. The Shanghai edition will bring together more than 1,400 young competitors from over 60 countries and regions competing across 64 skill competitions.
Leadership Statements and Institutional Support
Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education, emphasized that Team India represents a confident, creative, and digitally agile generation ready to compete with the world's best. The ceremony also announced the first cohort of 16 members to the WorldSkills India Champions Club, bringing together distinguished former competitors and medallists as ambassadors of India's skills movement to mentor aspiring competitors and inspire more young people to pursue skills with confidence and excellence.