Students and experts from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) delivered a strong performance at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, helping India secure two Silver Medals and a Medal for Excellence across fashion, digital and retail skill categories.
The competition was held from September 23 to 26, 2026, with more than 1,400 young competitors from around 68 countries and regions competing across 64 skills.
India fielded its largest-ever contingent of 70 competitors across 63 skills and finished 10th overall, winning six Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence.
NIFT participated in four skill categories: Fashion Technology, Digital Interactive Media Design, Retail Sales and Visual Merchandising.
Kovid Ajay Gangrade from NIFT Mumbai won a Silver Medal in Digital Interactive Media Design.
Saniya Joshi from NIFT Panchkula secured another Silver Medal in Retail Sales.
Both categories are among the emerging skill areas featured at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, highlighting the growing connection between technology, digital platforms, customer experience and creative industries.
In Fashion Technology, NIFT Gandhinagar graduate Vidhi Niravkumar Suthar represented India and received a Medal for Excellence.
Fashion Technology has been a longstanding area of NIFT’s participation at WorldSkills, with the institute taking part in the skill since 2011.
Suthar underwent a four-month intensive training programme at NIFT New Delhi under Prof. (Dr.) Monika Gupta and the NIFT training team. The preparation focused on technical proficiency, precision, international standards and competition performance.
NIFT’s participation also included Visual Merchandising, with Anuja Ajay Vare from NIFT Bengaluru representing India in the category.
WorldSkills provides NIFT participants with exposure to international occupational standards, emerging technologies, industry practices and global benchmarks.
The experience also gives the institute an opportunity to strengthen training methods and incorporate international best practices into its academic and skill-development programmes.
