CM Dhami Hails Uttarakhand's Two Silver Medals at WorldSkills 2026
Synopsis
Sania Joshi of Uttarkashi and Parth Vohra of Dehradun won silver medals at the 48th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, helping India achieve its best-ever finish of 10th place. CM Dhami congratulated both achievers, calling the feat a point of pride for Uttarakhand.
Key Takeaways
Sania Joshi (Uttarkashi) won silver in Retail Sales at WorldSkills 2026, Shanghai.
Parth Vohra (Dehradun) won silver in Industrial Design Technology at the same event.
The competition ran from September 22–27, 2026 in Shanghai, China , with around 1,400 participants across 64 skill disciplines .
India won 8 silver medals and 20 Medallions for Excellence , finishing 10th globally — its best-ever WorldSkills result.
Both competitors were supported by the Uttarakhand Skill Development Committee , the Department of Skill Development and Employment , and the National Skill Development Corporation .
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and Skill Development Minister Saurabh Bahuguna extended congratulations to the medal-winners.
Two young competitors from the hills of Uttarakhand walked onto one of the world's most demanding vocational stages — and came back with silver. The Chief Minister's Office of Uttarakhand announced on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 that Sania Joshi of Uttarkashi and Parth Vohra of Dehradun won silver medals at the 48th WorldSkills Competition 2026, held in Shanghai, China from September 22 to 27, 2026.
Sania's retail edge and Parth's design precision
Sania Joshi claimed silver in Retail Sales, while Parth Vohra secured the same honour in Industrial Design Technology — two distinct disciplines that together signal the breadth of vocational excellence Uttarakhand is now producing. Neither arrived in Shanghai by chance. Both had climbed through a rigorous pyramid: state, regional, and national rounds of the India Skills competition before earning their places on the global floor.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami congratulated both athletes and said the achievement was a source of immense pride for the state. 'Vishwa ke pratishthit kaushal manch par Uttarakhand ke yuvaon dwara desh ka pratinidhitva karte hue padak arjit karna pradesh ke liye gaurav ki baat hai' — ('Winning medals while representing the country on the world's most prestigious skills platform is a matter of pride for Uttarakhand'). He added that the feat would inspire the state's youth to push further in the direction of skill development and excellence. Skill Development Minister Saurabh Bahuguna also extended his congratulations.
India's best-ever finish at a WorldSkills event
The numbers behind this edition are striking. Around 1,400 participants competed across 64 skill disciplines at Shanghai. India returned with 8 silver medals and 20 Medallions for Excellence, finishing 10th in the global rankings — its strongest result at any WorldSkills competition to date. Narendra Singh Bhandari, Project Director of the Uttarakhand Skill Development Committee, described the WorldSkills contest as 'the Olympics of the skills world', underscoring the weight these two silver medals carry.
The pipeline that built two world-class competitors
Getting Sania and Parth to Shanghai required a coordinated push from two institutions. The Department of Skill Development and Employment and the Uttarakhand Skill Development Committee provided training, boot camps, travel, and logistics support. For the final stretch of international preparation, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) stepped in with specialist coaching and resources — a model that mirrors the 2015-launched Skill India Mission's stated goal of making India a globally competitive vocational powerhouse.
Uttarakhand is a state often defined in the national imagination by its mountains and its defence recruitment. These two medals add a new line to that story: world-class technical skill, certified on the biggest stage the profession has.
Point of View
And Uttarakhand's double silver is evidence that state-level selection pipelines are maturing. The NSDC's deepening role in last-mile international preparation signals a shift from mass-enrolment metrics toward podium-grade quality outcomes. For CM Dhami, the medals also serve a political dividend: positioning Uttarakhand as a state that exports both soldiers and skilled professionals. The next test will be whether the state converts this visibility into increased budget allocations for the next India Skills cycle.
NationPress
30 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won medals for India at WorldSkills 2026?
India won 8 silver medals in total at WorldSkills 2026 in Shanghai. Among them, Sania Joshi from Uttarkashi won silver in Retail Sales and Parth Vohra from Dehradun won silver in Industrial Design Technology, both representing Uttarakhand.
Where was WorldSkills 2026 held?
The 48th WorldSkills Competition 2026 was held in Shanghai, China, from September 22 to 27, 2026.
What is India's best result at WorldSkills?
India's best-ever result at WorldSkills was at the 2026 edition, where it finished 10th globally with 8 silver medals and 20 Medallions for Excellence.
What is the WorldSkills Competition?
WorldSkills is a biennial international competition widely regarded as the Olympics of vocational skills, bringing together approximately 1,400 competitors across dozens of technical and service disciplines.
How did Sania Joshi and Parth Vohra qualify for WorldSkills 2026?
Both qualified by excelling through the state, regional, and national levels of the India Skills competition, which feeds into the WorldSkills selection process. They received training and support from the Uttarakhand Skill Development Committee and the National Skill Development Corporation.
