In a significant move to strengthen India’s participation in global skill competitions, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), through the Retail Associates Skill Council of India (RASCI), has appointed veteran trainer Biju Nair as Chief Skill Expert for the Retail Sales category at the WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 competition.
The appointment comes as WorldSkills introduces retail sales as a new competition category for its 2026 Shanghai edition, recognising the emerging specialised skills required in modern retail environments. Nair will lead India’s challenge in this debut category, overseeing the identification, selection and intensive training of candidates who will represent the country on the international stage.
Highlighting the importance of structured skill development, Nair exclusively told Stylespeak, “India has always been a nation blessed with abundant talent; what is missing is honing of skills by providing the right knowledge, international skills standards and exposure. I am confident we will present noteworthy performance at the world stage in this new category, as well just as we have been doing in beauty and hairdressing. This, in turn, will draw good talent into this sector, which provides immense career opportunities for our youth.”
A trainer with over two decades of industry experience, Nair will focus on aligning Indian participants with global retail skill standards and competition benchmarks. As co-founder and director of LTA School of Beauty, he has played a key role in training professionals for major retail brands such as Lakmé and Tanishq, bringing extensive industry and training expertise to the assignment.
The initiative is expected to elevate professional standards in retail while creating stronger global opportunities for India’s young workforce.
