Mumbai | Dr. Sureshkumar Madhusudhanan, Chairman & Managing Director of Seagull International Group, has been nominated to join the FICCI Leadership Delegation to WorldSkills Shanghai 2026, scheduled to be held in Shanghai, China, from September 22 to 27, 2026. The high-level Indian delegation, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), will comprise distinguished representatives from industry, higher education, skill development institutions, government organisations, and the broader education and training ecosystem.
WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 will host the 48th WorldSkills Competition, one of the world’s foremost platforms for showcasing excellence in vocational and technical skills. More than 1,400 young skilled professionals from over 70 countries and regions are expected to compete across 64 skill categories covering a wide range of technical and occupational disciplines. The event will be held at the National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC), Shanghai.
WorldSkills traces its origins to the first international vocational skills competition held in Spain in 1950. Over the decades, it has evolved into a major global movement promoting skills excellence, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), technical education, and the recognition of skilled careers. WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 will also be significant as China hosts the WorldSkills Competition for the first time. Beyond the competitions, WorldSkills serves as an important international platform bringing together governments, industry leaders, educators, policymakers, training institutions and international organisations to exchange knowledge and explore collaborative approaches to the future of skills and workforce development.
Discussions and engagements are expected to focus on rapidly changing labour-market requirements, digital technologies, automation, advanced manufacturing, emerging technologies and the skills required for the future of work. The WorldSkills Conference 2026, being organised alongside the competitions under the theme “Shaping a Skills-Driven Future,” will bring together Ministers, policymakers, industry leaders, educators and representatives of leading skills organisations from across the world to deliberate on the future of vocational education, workforce development and technology-driven transformation.
In addition to witnessing the WorldSkills competitions, exhibitions and international networking programmes, the FICCI Leadership Delegation will visit leading vocational education and training institutions, universities, corporate learning academies, advanced manufacturing facilities, innovation centres and centres of excellence in and around Shanghai. These engagements are expected to provide valuable insights into industry-integrated education models, employer-led training systems, digital learning, international certification, future skills and global talent mobility.
Commenting on his participation, Dr. Sureshkumar Madhusudhanan said: “India’s greatest opportunity lies in transforming the potential of our young population into globally benchmarked skills and sustainable employment opportunities. Skills must increasingly be aligned with industry requirements and recognised across international borders. WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 offers an important opportunity to study some of the world’s best practices in vocational education and skill development and to explore new avenues of international collaboration in skilling and global workforce mobility. Participation in international platforms such as WorldSkills will be increasingly important in creating a globally recognised skilled workforce and positioning India as a major global talent hub capable of meeting the emerging human-resource requirements of economies around the world.”