The IndiaSkills Competition, country’s biggest month long event, culminated in January where among the 185 participants who were felicitated, 76 were from Odisha. The State got 10 Gold medals,18 Silver, nine Bronze and 14 medallions of excellence.

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) Secretary Rajesh Agarwal felicitated all of them. The first runners-up were awarded Rs 75,000, while the second runners-up received Rs 50,000. 

This year’s IndiaSkills Competition has raised the bar of skill development by witnessing over 2.5 lakh registrations in August-September 2021. The competition witnessed more than 500 candidates from 26 States and Union Territories participating in 54 trades. 

With economies and technology rapidly evolving, seven new-age skills, including robot systems integration, additive manufacturing, digital construction, among others, were introduced this year.

The IndiaSkills Competition has been providing the youth of Odisha with a unique platform to showcase their talent at national and international levels, strengthening India’s global representation. 

Known for playing a key role in instilling confidence and making young people proficient in relevant skills, the IndiaSkills competition has been successful in inculcating a strong sense of pride in the youth and creating capacity, including infrastructure.

The winners of the biennial IndiaSkills National Competition will undergo training to represent India at WorldSkills Shanghai in October 2022. 

 This year, WorldSkills is expected to feature over 1,400 competitors from more than 60 countries and regions, competing in over 60 skills.

In the previous edition of WorldSkills held in Kazan, Russia in 2019, India had ranked 13 of 63 countries that participated in the global event.

More than 1,350 candidates participated in 56 skills, and team India gave its best-ever performance by winning four medals (one gold, one silver, two bronze medals) along with 15 medallions of excellence.