Tamil Nadu Leads With 86 Participants In IndiaSkills 2024, Showcasing Talent Across 61 Trades

The IndiaSkills Competition 2024 witnessed the completion of several test projects of multiple trades – from traditional crafts to cutting-edge technologies at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka amid lots of anticipation and enthusiasm. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organised the country’s biggest skill competition designed to demonstrate the highest standards from 15 May to 19 May 2024. Tamil Nadu witnessed the maximum participation with 86 candidates, followed by Odisha (64), Karnataka (61), Punjab (53) and Haryana (47). 

This year, IndiaSkills is witnessing the participation of around 900 candidates from 30 plus states and Union Territories and 400 plus industry experts. They are showcasing their diverse skills and talent on a national platform across 61 trades including wall and floor tiling, bricklaying, carpentry, fashion technology, 3D Digital Game Art, cloud computing, mobile applications development, autonomous mobile robotics, health and social care and prosthetic & makeup.

While 47 skills competitions will be held onsite, 14 will be held off-site in Karnataka, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat keeping in mind the best infrastructure available. Participants will also participate in 9 exhibition skills like Drone-Filming making, Textile-Weaving, Leather-Shoemaking and prosthetics-makeup.

Participants from various states, including remote areas like Baramulla in Kashmir, are gathering for the IndiaSkills competition 2024, adding a diverse flavour to the event. Alongside their trainers, the competitors are being guided by winners of previous WorldSkills. This is not only helping them to understand the nuances of the trade but also helping them gain that extra edge. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), working under the aegis of MSDE, is implementing the event and it will conclude on 19 May with a grand closing ceremony.

Two-panel discussions were held on the topic Empowering India's Workforce for Global Competitiveness and Importance Of Industry-Academia Partnerships In Skilling For Employability and were attended by industry experts from companies including JK Cements, JBM Group, TeamLease, Tata Power, Jubilant Foods, Tern Group and Charkos Global. Indian School of Business, Medhavi Skills University, Shobhit University and Sanskriti University from Academia also participated in the discussions which focused on how industry and academia play a crucial role in programs like apprenticeship, providing on-the-job training and mentorship to apprentices, building industry-relevant curriculum, etc.

Winners of IndiaSkills, with the help of the best industry trainers, will prepare for the WorldSkills Competition scheduled to take place in Lyon, France in September 2024 and will bring together 1,500 competitors from over 70 countries. This year, early trends further predict that India will win medals in automobile, hospitality, mechatronics, and water technology in WorldSkills.

Beauty guru and Chairperson, B&WSSC Blossom Kochhar attended the event to encourage the participants and said that IndiaSkills 2024 is a wonderful platform for the youth to show off the candidates’ excellence in their respective skills. It encourages them to shine and learn the spirit of competition. We are grooming candidates, especially women from rural areas, by teaching them entrepreneurial skills and giving them a respectable livelihood.

This year the participants will have the opportunity to earn credits, within the National Credit Framework. All skills showcased in both the WorldSkills and IndiaSkills Competitions are meticulously aligned with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), empowering participants to creditise their learning outcomes and lead a thriving career in their chosen fields. It is also for the first time that IndiaSkills has incorporated a competition information system called Qrencia.

About 2.5 lakh candidates registered for the competition on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) Portal, out of which 26,000 were shortlisted through a process of pre-screening. This data was shared with the states for organising the state and district level competition, out of which around 900 students were further shortlisted for the IndiaSkills National competition.

This year, IndiaSkills is supported by more than 400 Industry and Academic Partners like Toyota Kirloskar, Autodesk, JK Cement, Maruti Suzuki, Lincoln Electric, NAMTECH, Vega, Loreal, Schneider Electric, Festo India, Artemis, Medanta and Cygnia Healthcare.

The IndiaSkills Competition 2024, has been witnessing increased participation of women in trades that were previously dominated by men. Female participants are competing head-to-head with their male counterparts, showcasing a lot of fervour and enthusiasm, and proving that skill and talent know no gender boundaries. This is in line with the Centre’s vision of empowering women and giving them employment opportunities.
In the previous years, Plumbing & heating skills witnessed participation by a female candidate. Landscape gardening Skills had two all-women teams. Visual merchandising was female-dominated too. Mobile robotics also saw a team of two girls.

Winners of IndiaSkills 2024, with the help of the best industry trainers, will prepare for the WorldSkills Competition scheduled to take place in Lyon, France in September 2024 and will bring together 1,500 competitors from over 70 countries. This year, early trends further predict that India will win medals in automobile, hospitality, mechatronics, and water technology in WorldSkills.

Alongside the trainers, the competitors are being guided by winners of previous WorldSkills. This is not only helping them to understand the nuances of the trade but also helping them gain that extra edge. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), working under the aegis of MSDE, is implementing the event and it will conclude on 19th May with a grand closing ceremony.