WorldSkills Competition Shanghai 2026: India Finishes 10th
Why in News?
India finished 10th at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, held in Shanghai, China, from 22 to 27 September 2026. Team India won six silver medals and 20 Medals for Excellence, marking India’s first entry into the top 10 of the global skills competition. India improved from its previous best position of 13th at WorldSkills Lyon 2024 to 10th in the 2026 edition.
WorldSkills Competition
The WorldSkills Competition is an international vocational skills competition for young professionals and trainees across a wide range of technical and occupational disciplines. It is held every two years and is regarded as an important international platform for demonstrating vocational excellence. The 48th edition was hosted by Shanghai, with competition rounds conducted from 23 to 26 September 2026. The competition covers diverse areas such as manufacturing, digital technologies, services, design, construction, transportation and hospitality.
Read More about WorldSkills 2026
India’s Six Silver Medals
India won six silver medals in the following skill categories:
| Skill Category | Indian Medallist |
|---|---|
| Bakery | Smriti Nambiar |
| Dental Prosthetics | Mohammed Salam |
| Digital Interactive Media Design | Kovid Ajay Gangrade |
| Industrial Design Technology | Parth Vohra |
| Logistics and Freight Forwarding | Mehrunissa Begum |
| Retail Sales | Saniya Joshi |
Smriti Nambiar, who won silver in Bakery, also received the Best of the Nation recognition on 27 September 2026.
India’s Largest-Ever WorldSkills Contingent
India sent its largest-ever contingent of 70 competitors, participating across 63 skills at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026.
India also competed in 11 new disciplines, including:
- Unmanned Aerial Systems.
- Intelligent Security Technology.
- Dental Prosthetics.
- Digital Interactive Media Design.
- Retail Sales.
- Other emerging technical and industrial skills.
Three of India’s six silver medals came in disciplines in which India made its debut at the competition: Dental Prosthetics, Digital Interactive Media Design and Retail Sales.
India’s Performance and Significance
India’s 10th-place finish represents an improvement over its 13th-place finish at WorldSkills Lyon 2024. The result also places India’s growing vocational skills ecosystem among the top-performing participants in the 2026 competition.
Participation across emerging fields such as unmanned aerial systems, digital media and intelligent security technology also highlights the changing nature of vocational and technical skills in the modern economy.
WorldSkills Competition Shanghai 2026: Exam-Oriented Facts for Competitive Exams
- Competition: 48th WorldSkills Competition.
- Venue: Shanghai, China.
- Dates: 22–27 September 2026.
- India’s Rank: 10th.
- India’s Medals: 6 Silver Medals.
- Medals for Excellence: 20.
- Indian Contingent: 70 competitors.
- Skills: 63.
- Previous Best Rank: 13th at WorldSkills Lyon 2024.
- Best of the Nation: Smriti Nambiar.
- New Indian Debut Categories with Silver Medals: Dental Prosthetics, Digital Interactive Media Design and Retail Sales.
- Frequency: WorldSkills Competition is held every two years.
