TKM employees secure five of India’s 20 Medallions for Excellence across Mechatronics, Additive Manufacturing and Robot Systems Integration
Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has achieved a strong performance at the WorldSkills Competition 2026 in Shanghai, with five of its employees winning the prestigious Medallion for Excellence. The employees competed across three skill categories — Mechatronics, Additive Manufacturing and Robot Systems Integration — and accounted for five of the 20 Medallions for Excellence won by India.
The 48th WorldSkills Competition was held in Shanghai, China, from September 22 to 27, 2026. Often described as the ‘Olympics of Skills’, the global competition brought together more than 1,400 young professionals from around 68 countries and regions, competing across 64 different technical and vocational skill categories.
The five TKM employees recognised at the event include Deepu Mudigerepalya Srinivasa and Jayanth Kariyappa in Mechatronics, Pavan Bhadravati Suresha in Additive Manufacturing, and Abhishek Somanna Shignalli and Vinay Muttayya Hiremath in Robot Systems Integration.
The Medallion for Excellence is awarded to competitors who demonstrate world-class skills and achieve performance scores just below the gold, silver and bronze medal positions. TKM employees Tejas B.S. and Praveen Yankappa Hunakunti also represented India at the competition in the Auto Body Repair and Welding categories.
Focus on developing skilled workforce
TKM said the achievement reflects its continued investment in skill development, advanced manufacturing capabilities and talent development. The company highlighted Toyota’s philosophy of Kaizen, or continuous improvement, as a key part of its approach to developing globally competitive professionals.
G. Shankara, Chief Strategy Officer, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said the performance of the employees demonstrates the spirit of excellence, innovation and continuous learning. He added that the achievement reinforces TKM’s commitment to nurturing world-class talent and supporting India’s ambition to become a global skill capital.
As part of its long-term focus on vocational training, TKM established the Toyota Technical Training Institute (TTTI) in 2007. The institute offers a three-year, free residential training programme, primarily for students from economically challenged backgrounds in rural Karnataka.
TTTI alumni have previously performed strongly at national and international skills competitions, including winning a bronze medal in Mechatronics and Prototype Modelling at WorldSkills 2022 and multiple Medallions for Excellence at WorldSkills 2024 in Lyon, France.
Over 1.4 lakh youths trained
Beyond TTTI, Toyota Kirloskar Motor says it has trained more than 1.4 lakh young people through its various skill development programmes. These initiatives include partnerships with more than 120 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and over 30 Government Tool Rooms and Training Centres (GTTCs), along with the Toyota Technical Education Program and Toyota Kaushalya.
TKM’s latest WorldSkills achievement comes as India continues to focus on strengthening its technical and vocational workforce. The company believes that developing specialised skills in areas such as robotics, mechatronics and advanced manufacturing will be increasingly important as India’s automotive and manufacturing sectors adopt new technologies.
The five Medallions for Excellence from TKM at WorldSkills 2026 therefore highlight not only individual achievement but also the company’s broader efforts to develop skilled talent for India’s evolving automotive manufacturing ecosystem.
