National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) students brought home two Silver Medals and a Medal for Excellence at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, held in Shanghai, China from 23 to 26 September 2026. The achievement marks another strong showing for Indian fashion education on the global skills stage, with NIFT contributing medals across both traditional and emerging creative disciplines.

India's Strongest WorldSkills Contingent Yet

India fielded its largest-ever contingent of 70 competitors across 63 skill categories at the Shanghai edition. The country finished 10th overall, winning six Silver Medals and 20 Medals for Excellence — a result that underscores India's growing competitiveness at international vocational skill championships. The competition attracted more than 1,400 young competitors from approximately 68 countries and regions across 64 skill categories.

NIFT's Medal-Winning Performances

Kovid Ajay Gangrade from NIFT Mumbai secured a Silver Medal in Digital Interactive Media Design, while Saniya Joshi from NIFT Panchkula earned a Silver Medal in Retail Sales. Their wins highlight the expanding footprint of fashion institutions into technology-driven and consumer-facing skill domains. In Fashion Technology, Vidhi Niravkumar Suthar, a Fashion Design graduate of NIFT Gandhinagar, earned a Medal for Excellence — continuing NIFT's participation in the category that dates back to 2011.

Rigorous Training Behind the Results

Vidhi completed an intensive four-month training programme at NIFT New Delhi, mentored by Prof. (Dr.) Monika Gupta, who served as India's expert for the Fashion Technology skill. The programme concentrated on technical precision, adherence to international standards, and performance readiness under competitive pressure. According to NIFT, such preparation also feeds back into its academic framework, allowing international benchmarks to shape domestic curricula.

Visual Merchandising and the Broader NIFT Story

Anuja Ajay Vare from NIFT Bengaluru represented India in Visual Merchandising, showcasing her craft at the international level. Together, NIFT's four-skill presence — covering Fashion Technology, Retail Sales, Visual Merchandising, and Digital Interactive Media Design — reflects a strategic shift in how fashion education is positioning itself: not just as a design discipline, but as a convergence of creativity, digital platforms, and customer experience. Notably, this is the first WorldSkills edition where NIFT students medalled in both a digital and a retail-focused category simultaneously.

What This Means for Fashion Education in India

NIFT's WorldSkills track record provides institutional validation for its skill-development programmes and strengthens its case for deeper industry partnerships. According to the institute, the exposure to global occupational standards and emerging technologies helps students benchmark their capabilities against the world's best. As competition formats increasingly reward digital fluency alongside craft mastery, NIFT's multi-disciplinary approach appears well-aligned with where the global creative economy is heading.