“It Is About Time That We Celebrate Our Skill Champions” : Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MoS, MSDE

* Team India gets a big send-off for 46th WorldSkills Competition: 58 candidates to compete in 52 skills across 15 countries 

A strong 58-member Indian contingent was given a grand ‘Vijayi Bhava’ send-off ceremony in the capital today as they gear up to compete against the best in the world at WorldSkills Competition 2022, the biggest skills competition in the world. The competitors will be showcasing their skills in 52 trades across 15 countries in Europe, Korea, Japan, and the USA.

In the current edition of the competition, Team India will compete in six new-age skills, including Industry 4.0, Robot System Integration, Additive Manufacturing, and Renewable Energy. The 58-member team has 19% women representation, indicating the rise in the stature of women including in skills that were earlier the preserve of men. All Indian competitors have undergone robust training to polish their skills with support of industries and academia like Toyota, Maruti, NIFT, Mahindra & Mahindra and more.

Addressing the candidates, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Electronics and Information Technology, said, “I congratulate all competitors, representing states, parents and other supporters for setting new benchmarks in skilling. What we are witnessing today is true Yuva Shakti and we are all spectators of this great phenomenon called skilling that is propelling the economic wheels of our country. I am certain, that with the power of skills, we will soon witness India’s techade. Guided by the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, we have been able to create a globally competitive youth that is prepared to make India the Skill Hub of the World. The huge spectrum of skills on display today gives me reason to believe that we will have many skilling champions who we must celebrate.”

Lauding the hard work of students and trainers, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, MSDE, said, “I wish all candidates the very best. The fact that we embraced big challenges including the pandemic is testimony to our resilience and grit. What we have seen in the national competitions strengthens our belief that we will get more glories for our nation in WorldSkills Competition 2022.”

Displaying extraordinary talent, Likith Kumar YP, candidate in the current Team WorldSkills India has already won a bronze medal in prototype modeling in the first leg of the WorldSkills Competition 2022 (WSC2022), held in Bern, Switzerland.

Various winners of past WorldSkills Competitions also addressed the India team, sharing their experiences of the largest skill competition and inspiring aspiring members to perform to the best of their abilities on the global stage. The 46th WorldSkills Competition will bring together more than 1,400 young professionals, representing over 60 countries. In 2019, from India, 48 candidates took part in WorldSkills International at Kazan, Russia. The team won one gold (Water Technology), one silver (Web technology), two bronze (Jewellery and Graphic Design Technology) and 15 medallions for excellence.