India’s ‘WorldSkills’ medals reflect patient investment, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• India secured the 10th position at the 48th WorldSkills Competition held in Shanghai, China, in September 2026.
• The Indian contingent won a total of 26 medals, comprising six silver medals and 20 Medals for Excellence, marking its largest haul ever.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the medal winners, emphasizing the importance of skill development and encouraging families to value skill-based careers.
• India's performance improved significantly from its 13th position at WorldSkills Lyon 2024, where it had won four bronze medals.
• The competition, often referred to as the "Olympics of skills," featured over 1,400 young participants from approximately 70 countries across 64 skills.

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Detailed Insights:

• India's journey in WorldSkills has shown consistent improvement, rising from 39th in 2011 to 10th in 2026.
• The six silver medals were awarded to Smriti Nambiar (Bakery), Mohammed Salam (Dental Prosthetics), Kovid Gangrade (Digital Interactive Media Design), Parth Vohra (Industrial Design Technology), Mehrunissa Begum (Logistics and Freight Forwarding), and Saniya Joshi (Retail Sales).
• Many medalists, like Kaif Khan (Car Painting), began their skill development in ordinary settings, highlighting the potential for talent discovery at the grassroots level.
• The selection and training process for WorldSkills involves a multi-stage ladder, starting from district and state levels, progressing through regional competitions, and culminating in the IndiaSkills national finals.
• This comprehensive ecosystem is supported by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), working with industry experts.
• The government's commitment to skill development is further demonstrated by initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU).
• PM-SETU is a ₹60,000 crore centrally sponsored scheme aimed at upgrading 1,000 government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) into modern, industry-aligned training institutions using a hub-and-spoke model.
• The concept of "Skill-Ex" emphasizes deliberate investment in human capital, alongside traditional capital expenditure (Capex) and operational expenditure (Opex), to ensure asset productivity and national development.

Key Concepts Involved:

• WorldSkills Competition: A biennial international event showcasing vocational skills, often called the "Olympics of skills."
• IndiaSkills: The national-level skill competition in India, serving as a pathway for selecting participants for WorldSkills.
• PM-SETU: A ₹60,000 crore centrally sponsored scheme to modernize Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across India.
• Skill-Ex: A term coined to represent deliberate investment in human skills, analogous to capital expenditure (Capex) and operational expenditure (Opex).