The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) achieved significant recognition at the 48th WorldSkills Competition held in Shanghai, China from September 23-26, 2026. NIFT students won two Silver Medals and one Medal for Excellence across three skill categories, contributing to India's overall 10th place ranking among 68 participating countries and regions.
India fielded its largest-ever contingent of 70 competitors across 63 skills, ultimately securing 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence. NIFT participated in four skill areas: Fashion Technology, Digital Interactive Media Design, Retail Sales, and Visual Merchandising. In Fashion Technology, Ms. Vidhi Niravkumar Suthar, a Fashion Design graduate from NIFT Gandhinagar, received a Medal for Excellence after undergoing an intensive four-month training program at NIFT New Delhi under the guidance of Prof. (Dr.) Monika Gupta, Indian Expert.
Mr. Kovid Ajay Gangrade from NIFT Mumbai won a Silver Medal in Digital Interactive Media Design, while Ms. Saniya Joshi from NIFT Panchkula won a Silver Medal in Retail Sales. These achievements are particularly notable as Retail Sales and Digital Interactive Media Design represent new and emerging skill categories at WorldSkills, reflecting the fashion industry's growing integration with technology and customer experience. Ms. Anuja Ajay Vare from NIFT Bengaluru represented India in Visual Merchandising.
The competition brought together more than 1,400 young competitors worldwide. For NIFT, participation in WorldSkills provides students with exposure to global occupational standards, emerging technologies, and international benchmarks, enabling the institute to continuously strengthen its training methodologies and integrate global best practices into its academic ecosystem. NIFT acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Textiles in their preparation and participation.