Union Minister Shri Jayant Chaudhary launched the ‘IndiaSkills Competition 2026–27’, the country’s flagship skill competition that seeks to identify, nurture and showcase India’s most talented youth across 63 industry-relevant skill categories. This is the country’s premier skill competition, aimed at identifying, honing, and showcasing India’s most talented youth across 63 skill categories essential to the industry. Organized by the MSDE in collaboration with the NSDC, the competition provides a platform for young skilled professionals to demonstrate their abilities and compete for the opportunity to represent India on the global stage.
Registration for this competition has commenced on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH). The competition progresses from district, state, and regional levels to the national level, where top participants are selected to represent India at global events such as the WorldSkills competition.
Like the previous cycle, the IndiaSkills Competition 2026–27 will feature 63 skills that are future-ready and aligned with industry needs. These will encompass advanced manufacturing, construction, digital technology, engineering, hospitality, transportation, creative industries, and emerging sectors.
Since its inception in 2016, IndiaSkills has evolved into India’s largest skill competition ecosystem. There has been a tremendous surge in participation; while 2016 saw approximately 5,000 registrations across 20 skills, the recent IndiaSkills competition (2025–26) recorded over 3.5 lakh registrations across 63 skills from all 36 states and union territories.
IndiaSkills serves as India’s primary talent pathway for global skill competitions and has strengthened the country’s international performance. India achieved its best-ever ranking of 13th at WorldSkills 2024 in Lyon—securing four bronze medals and 12 ‘Medallions for Excellence’—followed by an 8th-place finish at WorldSkills Asia 2025. At the Global Skills Challenge 2026 in Australia, India won three gold, one silver, and one bronze medal, and is now preparing for WorldSkills 2026 in Shanghai.
The Ministry has encouraged all States and Union Territories to ensure maximum participation in the skill categories. Additionally, it has urged them to engage people on a large scale—through schools, ITIs, polytechnics, engineering colleges, universities, skill training institutes, and industry partners—to reach a wider audience and identify talen. (PIB)
