India Fields Record 70-Member Skilled Youth Team at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026

Key facts

• India's largest-ever contingent of 70 skilled young competitors will represent the country across 63 skill categories at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, which begins in Shanghai on Tuesday.
• The competition is being held at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC), China's largest exhibition complex, with the closing event scheduled for September 27.
• India's team will participate in 63 out of 64 skill categories, making it one of India's largest and most diverse representations.
• The WorldSkills Conference will be held from September 23 to 25, where global leaders, policymakers and educators will discuss the future of vocational education.
• India will compete for the first time in eleven new skills, including Dental Prosthetics, Landscape Gardening, Unmanned Aerial Systems, Software Testing, Heavy Vehicle Technology, and Aircraft Maintenance.
• India's participation is being held under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) driving preparations through collaboration with industry partners and training institutions.
• India's world ranking improved from 29th at WorldSkills in 2015 to 13th in 2024, and it secured 8th rank in Asia at WorldSkills Asia 2025 and won five medals at the Taipei Capital Cup 2026.
• The PM-SETU scheme is modernizing one thousand government ITIs with an investment of 60,000 crore rupees, and PM Modi announced in his Independence Day address that one crore youth would be trained in AI skills over the next year.
• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship hosted the send-off ceremony for the Indian contingent in the national capital on September 15, where Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jayant Chaudhary addressed the team.