Bhubaneswar: Thirteen competitors from Odisha are participating in the 48th WorldSkills Competition 2026, which is being held from September 22 to 27 in Shanghai, China.
The competition is taking place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. In this international competition, nearly 1,400 young individuals from 70 nations, including India, are competing across 64 categories. Prior to participating in the WorldSkills Competition, each nation organized regional and national-level competitions to select their top competitors, said an official press statement.
Accordingly, the candidates deemed best in the IndiaSkills Competition held in India were selected for the Shanghai WorldSkills Competition.
Earlier, Odisha topped the medal tally by winning the highest number of medals in the IndiaSkills Competition 2025–26 held in New Delhi. Among them, the top 13 competitors were selected to join the Indian team and participate in the WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai. The 13 competitors include: Debasish Gouda and Prasad Kumar Das (Landscape Gardening), Priyanshu De (Web Technologies), Rasmita Kaur Hanspal (Hotel Reception), Debasish Panda and Aditya Prakash (Autonomous Mobile Robotics), Pitambaram Rishikesh (Water Technology), Rajeev Lochan Chand (Graphic Design), Jagannath Mishra (Industrial Mechanics), Jhansirani Rout (Restaurant Service), Krishnanjali Sahoo (Patisserie and Confectionery), Parshuram Majhi (CNC Turning) and Sumit Bhujabal (Industrial Control).
The Indian team has reached Shanghai via Bangkok from New Delhi to participate in the competition. While India hopes to deliver a strong performance in the competition starting tomorrow, the 13 competitors from Odisha are also aiming to give their best. Among these 13 participants, two students from the Government ITI, Berhampur—run by the Department of Skill Development and Technical Education—Debasish Gouda and Prasad Kumar Das, are representing India in the Landscape Gardening category. Both had achieved top honors by winning gold medals at the IndiaSkills 2025–26 in New Delhi. Prior to their visit to Shanghai, both underwent rigorous training in Ahmedabad and Noida, receiving guidance from their mentors.
Prior to the WorldSkills Competition, participants who achieved success in OdishaSkills 2025–26 and IndiaSkills 2025–26 were conferred with the Chief Minister’s Skill Award at a state-level ceremony on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day. As in previous years, it is hoped that Odisha’s competitors will perform well, achieve success, and bring pride to both the state and the country at the WorldSkills Competition.
