Ph.D. in Design 

at NID Ahmedabad, Paldi

NID application form 2026 opened on September 11, 2025. The application form is open online at the NID admission portal -admissions.nid.edu. Candidates who meet the program-specific eligibility criteria may apply before the last date.

The NID application form is for admission to the B. Des and M.Des courses offered by participating colleges. The last date to apply for NID DAT 2026 was December 01, 2025. 

The National Institutes of Design (NIDs) currently offer the BDes and MDes courses. Admission to these courses will be based on the merit rank of the candidate in the NID DAT exam, which will be prepared by considering the performance of the candidate in DAT Prelims and DAT Mains. The weightage carried by the two exams is notified by the National Institute of Design at the time of declaration of final results. Note that in NID DAT 2025, the DAT Prelims will carry 40% weightage, while DAT Mains will carry 60% weightage.

The candidate has to first appear in DAT Prelims, and if shortlisted has to next appear in DAT Mains. The DAT Mains exam for the BDes comprises a Studio Test, but also an interview for the MDes programme.

NID Ahmedabad students enjoy a good college life. The college surrounding is beautiful and made according to the student's liking. The college conducts various workshops and seminars. NID Ahmedabad offers hostel facilities to students. The hostels are neat and clean and has games area intalled for students. 

NID Ahmedabad has not released any official placement report 2023. As per the annual placement 2020 report, NID Ahmedabad average package stood at INR 14 LPA. The top recruiters who participated during recent NID Ahmedabad placements included Samsung, Adobe, TCS, HCL, Ebay, Deloitte, etc. These stats may vary further once the latest placement Statistics are out.

No you can not join NID Ahmedabad directly since admissions are based on  NID DAT scores only. NID DAT is two-step exam consisting:

Prelims: Objective-type CBT focusing on design aptitude, general knowledge, and observation skills. 

Mains: Studio tests + PI to evaluate design thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.