India Ranks 10th at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, wins 6 Silver medals and 20 Medal for Excellence
Shanghai : Team India secured 10th position at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, Shanghai 2026, winning 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medal for Excellence as the prestigious international skills competition concluded in Shanghai, China.
Improving upon its 13th-place finish at WorldSkills Lyon 2024, where India secured four Bronze Medals and 12 Medal for Excellence, the result marks an important milestone for the country’s skilled youth on the global stage.
The six Silver Medals at WorldSkills Shanghai were won by Smriti Nambiar in Bakery, Mohammed Salam in Dental Prosthetics; Kovid Ajay Gangrade in Digital Interactive Media Design, Parth Vohra in Industrial Design Technology, Mehrunissa Begum in Logistics and Freight Forwarding; and Saniya Joshi in Retail Sales. Their achievements span creative, technical and service-sector skills, reflecting the breadth of Indian talent on the global stage, as per the press release.
India also secured 20 Medal for Excellence across technical, industrial, digital, creative and service skills. Smriti Nambiar, Silver Medallist in Bakery, was recognised as Best of Nation for India.
The six-day international event, held from 22–27 September 2026, brought together over 1,400 young competitors from around 70 countries and regions. Representing India was its largest-ever contingent of 70 competitors participating across 63 skills, spanning emerging technologies, advanced manufacturing, engineering, creative industries and specialised services.
Following four days of intense competition from 23–26 September, the winners were recognised at the grand closing ceremony on 27th September in Shanghai. The ceremony celebrated exceptional technical proficiency, innovation, precision and craftsmanship, bringing together competitors, international delegations, experts and industry representatives from across the world.
Congratulating Team India on its performance, Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the Minister of State for Education, Government of India, said in a statement, “Team India’s remarkable performance at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, with 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medal for Excellence, marks a significant leap in our global skills journey. Surpassing our previous performance, our young competitors have demonstrated the growing strength and competitiveness of India’s skilled talent. I congratulate every competitor, expert, trainer and industry partner who contributed to this achievement. Beyond the medals, what makes us proud is the confidence, determination and excellence with which our youth represented India on the world stage. Their success reinforces our commitment to building a future-ready skilling ecosystem and giving every young Indian the opportunity to compete with the best in the world.”
India’s achievement reflects the dedication of its young competitors, supported by months of rigorous preparation, specialised training, mentorship and international benchmarking. Medal for Excellence are awarded to competitors who demonstrate a high level of professional proficiency against internationally established WorldSkills standards.
Sharing her perspective on the international exposure gained through the competition, Manisha Sensarma, Official Delegate, WorldSkills India and Senior Economic Adviser, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, said, “WorldSkills is as much about learning as it is about competing. Shanghai has given our competitors and experts invaluable exposure to evolving global occupational standards, new technologies and international best practices. Our focus now is to translate these learnings into stronger training methodologies, improved assessment standards and deeper industry engagement, so that the benefits of this experience extend well beyond the competition to India’s larger skilling ecosystem.”
