Prime Minister Narendra Modi today stressed the need for young people to continuously upgrade their skills and adapt to emerging technologies amid the rapid pace of technological advancements. He said this while interacting with the representatives of Team India at WorldSkills Competition, Shanghai 2026 at his residence in New Delhi. Congratulating them for representing India on the global stage, Mr Modi urged the participants to develop skills in line with the requirements of the international market and contribute to improving India’s skill training ecosystem through their experiences and suggestions.
He also urged them to become ambassadors of skill development. The Prime Minister further emphasised the need for coordinated efforts by youth, the Government and training institutions to establish India as a global hub of skilled human resources.
During the interaction, Mr Modi underscored that practical skills are as important as academic degrees. The Prime Minister also underlined the objective behind establishing a separate Ministry for Skill Development and said that the importance of skill training institutions is no less than IITs and IIMs. He encouraged the participants to share their experiences and suggestions with the Government to help improve India’s skill training system.
During the interaction, the participants shared their experiences during the competition and expressed pride in representing their country at the world stage. The participants discussed adapting to new tools, software, technical systems and work processes during the international competition. They also spoke about the work being done by the government towards skill development which is helping youth.
WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, the 48th WorldSkills Competition, was held from 22 to 27 September 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, China. Team India secured 10th position at the Competition, winning 6 Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence. Team India was represented by its largest-ever contingent of 70 competitors participating across 63 skills.
