India’s growing participation of women across diverse vocational and technical skills is finding expression on the global stage at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, with 14 young women representing Team India across a wide spectrum of skill categories.

The women competitors are part of India’s 70-member contingent competing across 63 skills at the 48th WorldSkills Competition being held in Shanghai from 22–27 September 2026.

Significantly, women competitors are representing India across a broad mix of technical, specialised, creative and service-oriented skills. These include Chemical Laboratory Technology, Logistics and Freight Forwarding, Visual Merchandising, Fashion Technology, Retail Sales and Health and Social Care, alongside Hotel Reception, Restaurant Service, Cooking, Painting and Decorating, Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy, Bakery and Patisserie and Confectionery.

The breadth of this participation reflects the widening occupational choices available to young women and their growing presence across skills that extend well beyond traditional career pathways.

Ms. Manisha Sensarma, Official Delegate, WorldSkills India and Senior Economic Adviser, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said, “The participation of these young women at WorldSkills Shanghai reflects an encouraging shift in India’s skilling landscape. What is particularly significant is the diversity of skills in which they are competing from chemical laboratory technology, logistics and visual merchandising to hospitality, beauty and specialised crafts. It reinforces a simple but powerful message that skills have no gender. Our effort is to ensure that young women have the opportunity, training and confidence to choose careers based on their aptitude and aspirations, and to compete at the highest global standards.”

The participants include 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.

Their participation reflects the widening horizons of India’s skilling ecosystem, with young women increasingly exploring careers across technical, creative, healthcare, logistics, hospitality and service sectors.

WorldSkills provides competitors an opportunity to benchmark their capabilities against international standards and learn alongside some of the finest young skilled professionals from around the world. Team India’s women competitors have undergone intensive preparation and training ahead of the global competition, sharpening their technical capabilities and their ability to perform under exacting international standards.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship continues to encourage greater participation of women in vocational education, apprenticeships and industry-linked training, while supporting wider occupational choices and pathways to sustainable livelihoods.

As competitions progress in Shanghai, these young women represent a generation increasingly confident about building careers through skills, technology, craftsmanship and professional excellence.

Sampada Desai

 

Mehrunissa Begum

 

Anuja Ajay Vare

 

Vidhi Niravkumar Suthar

 

 

Saniya Joshi

 

Vishnupriya Sunil

 

Rashmeet Kaur Hanspal

 

 

Jhansirani Rout

 

Thanushree Magesh

Muskan

Jui Santosh Sapke

 

T. Sabir Sutar

Smriti Nambiar

 

Krishnanjali Sahoo

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SH

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