IndiaSkills 2025–26: Why the North East’s First Regional Skill Competition Matters

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is set to organise the North East Regional Competition of IndiaSkills 2025–26 from January 19 to 22 at Gauhati University. For the first time, India’s premier national skill competition framework is hosting a region-exclusive contest for the North Eastern Region, signalling a strategic push to deepen skilling ecosystems in one of the country’s most diverse yet underrepresented geographies.

What makes this IndiaSkills event different

Unlike previous editions where regional talent competed primarily through zonal or national-level formats, the 2026 cycle introduces a dedicated regional competition exclusively for the North East. Skilled youth from all eight North Eastern States will compete across 26 skill categories, creating a platform that recognises regional strengths while reducing the logistical and geographic barriers that often limit participation from the region.

The competition is being organised by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, with the National Skill Development Corporation serving as the knowledge partner and implementing agency for IndiaSkills 2025–26.

Why the North East focus matters

The North Eastern Region has long faced structural challenges in skill development—ranging from remoteness and connectivity issues to limited exposure to national-level competitive platforms. By hosting a standalone regional competition, MSDE aims to strengthen local skill ecosystems, identify region-specific high-potential trades, and align training outcomes more closely with industry demand and national priorities.

Officials have emphasised that this decentralised approach is not merely symbolic. It is intended to build confidence among local youth, encourage State-level institutions to invest in competitive excellence, and ensure that talent from emerging regions is not filtered out early due to access constraints.

Scale of IndiaSkills 2025–26 and national context

IndiaSkills is the country’s flagship skill competition framework, designed to benchmark India’s vocational talent against national and global standards. The ongoing 2025–26 cycle has recorded one of its widest participation footprints so far, with over 3.65 lakh candidates registering from 35 States and Union Territories across 63 skill categories through the Skill India Digital Hub.

Within this national canvas, the North East Regional Competition functions as a critical feeder. Winners from Gauhati will advance to the national stage, strengthening India’s pipeline of skilled professionals for global platforms such as the WorldSkills Competition.

Institutional leadership and policy signalling

The regional competition will be inaugurated on January 19 by Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Minister of State for Education. Senior officials from MSDE, including Hena Usman, have underlined that the event reflects the government’s commitment to regional inclusion, competitive excellence and industry-aligned skilling.

The Opening Ceremony will be held at the B.K.B. Auditorium of Gauhati University, followed by a familiarisation programme for participants—an important step in ensuring uniform competition standards and fair benchmarking.

How the competition is structured

The North East Regional Competition has been conceptualised to combine high-quality competition standards with strong industry alignment. Skill categories have been selected to reflect both national demand and regional strengths, while assessment frameworks adhere to national and international benchmarks.

This structure allows IndiaSkills to function not just as a contest, but as a talent-identification and talent-development mechanism—linking grassroots skilling efforts with national certification systems and global exposure pathways.

What this means for the future of skilling in the region

By institutionalising a regional competition format, MSDE is attempting to embed competitive skilling within the North East’s development trajectory. The expectation is that such platforms will encourage States to upgrade training infrastructure, improve trainer quality, and foster closer collaboration with industry.

For young participants, success at the Gauhati event offers more than medals—it provides visibility, confidence and a structured pathway to national and international skill competitions. For policymakers, it represents a test case in whether decentralised, region-focused interventions can deliver more equitable outcomes within India’s rapidly expanding skilling architecture.