The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has announced that fourteen young women are representing India at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, competing across fourteen different skill categories. These women form more than one-fifth of India’s seventy-member contingent, which is participating in the 48th WorldSkills Competition held in Shanghai from 22 to 27 September 2026. The women are competing across a diverse range of technical, creative and service-oriented occupations, marking a significant expansion in women’s participation in vocational and skilled trades globally.
Key facts
- Fourteen women competitors represent India at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026
- Part of India’s total seventy-member contingent competing across sixty-three skills
- Competition dates: 22–27 September 2026
- Women compete in fourteen skill categories
- Skills include Chemical Laboratory Technology, Logistics and Freight Forwarding, Visual Merchandising, Fashion Technology, Retail Sales, Health and Social Care, Hotel Reception, Restaurant Service, Cooking, Painting and Decorating, Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Bakery, and Patisserie and Confectionery
- Ms. Manisha Sensarma, Official Delegate for WorldSkills India and Senior Economic Adviser at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, oversees India’s participation
Who are the fourteen competitors
The women competitors are Sampada Desai in Chemical Laboratory Technology; Mehrunissa Begum in Logistics and Freight Forwarding; Anuja Ajay Vare in Visual Merchandising; Vidhi Niravkumar Suthar in Fashion Technology; Saniya Joshi in Retail Sales; Vishnupriya Sunil in Health and Social Care; Rashmeet Kaur Hanspal in Hotel Reception; Jhansirani Rout in Restaurant Service; Thanushree Magesh in Cooking; Muskan in Painting and Decorating; Jui Santosh Sapke in Hairdressing; T. Sabir Sutar in Beauty Therapy; Smriti Nambiar in Bakery; and Krishnanjali Sahoo in Patisserie and Confectionery.
Breadth of skills and changing career pathways
The participation of these women across such varied occupations demonstrates that India’s vocational training landscape is expanding beyond traditional gender-based career choices. The skills represented span technical fields such as chemical laboratory work and logistics, creative disciplines including fashion and visual merchandising, healthcare roles, and hospitality and food service sectors. This diversity reflects a shift in how young women in India are approaching career selection, increasingly choosing vocations based on their abilities and interests rather than conventional expectations.
What this means for India’s skilling ecosystem
According to Ms. Manisha Sensarma, the participation of these competitors at the world level signals an encouraging change in India’s approach to vocational education and training. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has been working to expand opportunities for young women in apprenticeships, industry-linked training programmes and vocational education. By showcasing Indian women competing at international standards across such a broad range of occupations, the Ministry aims to reinforce the message that technical and vocational skills are open to all, regardless of gender, and that sustainable livelihoods can be built through professional excellence and mastery of a craft or trade.
Training and preparation
All fourteen women competitors have undergone intensive preparation and training before competing on the global stage. Their preparation has focused on sharpening their technical capabilities and developing the ability to perform under the demanding conditions of international competition. WorldSkills competitions allow young skilled professionals to benchmark their abilities against global standards and learn from peers representing countries around the world.
About WorldSkills and India’s role
WorldSkills is a biennial international competition that brings together young skilled professionals to demonstrate their technical expertise across various occupations. The competition provides a platform for countries to showcase their vocational training systems and for young people to gain international recognition for their skills. India’s participation in these competitions reflects the country’s commitment to promoting vocational education and technical training as viable and respected career pathways.