NIFT Artisan Category: Who can Apply, Programmes, Application and Exam Components
National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )
NIFT Registration for e-Counselling / Seat Allotment
To be notified
NIFT Artisan Category is an opportunity to provide design education to traditional craft families and support the growth of Indian crafts. It allows candidates to study at the top design college of India without appearing for the NIFT Stage 1 Examination. Let's see how.
NIFT B.Des Artisan Category
NIFT Artisan Category is an opportunity given by NIFT for candidates coming from an artisan background. It is a special path which provides admission to children of artisans, like handicrafts, handlooms, etc. NIFT provided B.Des under this category. Candidates need to fill the application form in December and appear for the exam in April. The application fee is INR 2000 for General category and INR 500 for SC/ST and PwD category. The age limit of the candidate must be below 24 years as on 1 August of the admission year.
Candidates who want to appear under this category will be required to appear NIFT Artisan Test and NIFT Personal Interview. Candidates under this category are not required to appear for NIFT Stage 1 Examination.
- Who Can Apply for NIFT B.Des Artisan?
- Programmes Offered by NIFT for Artisan Category
- NIFT B.Des Artisan Category Overview
- Timeline for NIFT B.Des Artisan Category
- Eligibility Criteria for NIFT B.Des under Artisan Category
- Components and Marks for Artisan Skill Test for NIFT Stage 2
- NIFT Artisan College
Who Can Apply for NIFT B.Des Artisan?
A candidate can apply if:
-
They have passed Class 12.
-
They are below 24 years of age as on 1 August of the admission year.
-
They are an artisan themselves or the son/daughter of an artisan.
-
They possess a valid Artisan Card issued to self, father, or mother by Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles or State Government authorities
Commonly asked questions
Candidates will be able to check the cutoff for NIFT Delhi on the website of NIFT: nift.admissions.nic.in. The opening and closing rank of all the programmes is given on this page. This year, NIFT 2026 cutoff is expected to be on the lower side.
The expected cutoff for NIFT 2026 for B.Des is:
| Category | Expected Cutoff for B.Des |
|---|---|
| Open | 30-80 |
| EWS | 26-29 |
| OBC | 26-29 |
| SC | 22 |
| ST | 19 |
NIFT cutoff for a participating NIFT is the last rank for which admission is offered in for a particular programme and category. This means, if a candidate fails to score a rank equal to or higher than the cutoff rank, they don't get admission. Typically, a higher ranked institute will invite: More applications Higher-ranked candidates This in turn pushes up the cutoff in higher ranked (or popular) institutes. Likewise, a lower-ranked institute will receive comparatively fewer number of applications, and mostly from lower-ranked candidates. This means, cut-off in these institutes are lower making it much easier to get admission.
The expected cutoff for NIFT M.Des is given below:
| Category | Expected Cutoff M.Des |
|---|---|
| Open | 26-70 |
| EWS | 22 |
| OBC | 22 |
| SC | 16 |
| ST | 16-18 |
Programmes Offered by NIFT for Artisan Category
NIFT offers B.Des in the following.
- B.Des in Fashion Design
- B.Des in Leather Design
- B.Des in Accessory Design
- B.Des in Textile Design
- B.Des in Knitwear Design
- B.Des in Fashion Communication.
NIFT B.Des Artisan Category Overview
Check out the overview of NIFT Artisan Category.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Courses Offered by NIFT | B.Des programmes at NIFT campuses |
| Artisan Requirement | Candidate or parent must possess a valid Artisan Card |
| Entrance Exam | No need to appear for NIFT Stage 1 |
| NIFT Selection Process | Artisan Skill Test + Personal Interview |
| Merit Preparation | Based on Skill Test and Interview performance |
| Seats Available | 2 supernumerary seats per campus |
| Degree Type | Same NIFT degree as regular students |
| Placement Opportunities | Same placements, internships, and career support as other NIFT students |
Also Read:
Commonly asked questions
NIFT 2026 cut off list will include opening and closing ranks of candidates for each participating institute and category. Among the various categories for which the cut-off would be released are General, SC, ST, OBC-NCl, Domicile, and PwD categories. The candidate needs to consult the cut-off for their respective categories for the programme they are seeking admission to.
Opening rank is the highest rank for which the seat has been allocated. Closing rank is the minimum rank for which admission is allocated. Only such candidates who secure a rank equal to or higher than the closing rank will get admission.
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Timeline for NIFT B.Des Artisan Category
Go through the timeline for NTA NIFT B.Des in the Artisan Category.
| Activities | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Online Registration | 08 December 2025 |
| Last date for Online Registration | 28 February 2026 |
| Admit Card (Online only) | April 22, 2026 |
| Artisan Skill Test and Personal Interview | April 2026 |
| Declaration of Final Result (Online) | June 03, 2026 |
| Seat Allocation | June 2026 |
Eligibility Criteria for NIFT B.Des under Artisan Category
Read the eligibility Criteria for NIFT B.Des programme under the Artisan Category.
| Programme | Eligibility Criteria |
|---|---|
| Age Criteria |
|
| Educational Qualification | Passed the plus 2 level examination in the 10+2 pattern of examination of any recognized Central/ State Board of Secondary Examination, such as Central Board of Secondary Education / State Board New Delhi / Council for Indian School of Certificate Examination, New Delhi. OR A pass grade in the Senior Secondary School Examination conducted by the National Open School with a minimum of five subjects. OR 3 or 4-years Diploma recognized by AICTE or a State Board of Technical Education after secondary school examination. OR Any Public School/Board/University Examination in India or in foreign countries recognized by the Association of Indian Universities as equivalent to 10+2 system. AND Artisan/Ward of Artisan can seek admission under this category on submission of a valid Artisan Card issued to Self/ Father/ Mother by the Development Commissioner (Handicraft), or Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India or have applied for the Artisan Card before the launch of Prospectus for Admissions-2026. |
Components and Marks for Artisan Skill Test for NIFT Stage 2
Candidates under the Artisan Category have to appear for Artisan Skill Test. It will comprise creative ability and basic 3-D modelling ability (using 3-D modelling clay) or other material(s). Check out the components and marks of the Artisan Skill Test. The exam is condcuted with the Stage 2 Entrance Exam.
| Component | Marks |
|---|---|
| Artisan Skill Test |
70
|
| Visualization of form and space | |
| Innovative and Creative use of material | |
| Composition of Elements | |
| Construction skill and Finesse of the model | |
| Overall presentation | |
| Write-up: | |
| Explanation and Communication of concept | |
| Language | |
| Personal Interview (verification of documents/eligibility) | 30 |
| Total Marks | 100 |
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NIFT Artisan College
The 20 participating NIFTs offer B.Des Artisan courses with specialisations in various disciplines.
| S.No | NIFT Campus |
|---|---|
| 1 | NIFT New Delhi |
| 2 | NIFT Chennai |
| 3 | NIFT Gandhinagar |
| 4 | NIFT Hyderabad |
| 5 | NIFT Kolkata |
| 6 | NIFT Mumbai |
| 7 | NIFT Bengaluru |
| 8 | NIFT Raebareli |
| 9 | NIFT Bhopal |
| 10 | NIFT Kannur |
| 11 | NIFT Shillong |
| 12 | NIFT Patna |
| 13 | NIFT Kangra |
| 14 | NIFT Bhubaneswar |
| 15 | NIFT Jodhpur |
| 16 | NIFT Srinagar |
| 17 | NIFT Panchkula |
| 18 | NIFT Daman |
| 19 | NIFT Varanasi |
| 20 | NIFT Nava Raipur |
Also read:
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Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered a month ago
NIFT 2026 Final Result for UG and PG programmes was released on June 03, 2026.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
There is no fixed number of mock tests one should take before the NIFT Entrance Exam. A candidate should take at least one mock test daily for the NIFT Entrance Preparation. 10-15 mock tests will really help in preparing for the exam.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
There are 20 participating institutes of NIFT that offer the B. Des and B.F.Tech programmes. B. Des programme offers specializations in the following programs: Fashion Design (FD), Leather Design (LD), Accessory Design (AD), Textile Design (TD), Knitwear Design (KD), Fashion Communication (FC).
For B
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NIFT cutoff for a participating NIFT is the last rank for which admission is offered in for a particular programme and category. This means, if a candidate fails to score a rank equal to or higher than the cutoff rank, they don't get admission. Typically, a higher ranked institute will invite: More
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 months ago
NIFT Delhi is frequently ranked among the top design colleges in the country. So, the admission cut-off for the institute is pretty high, especially when compared to the lower-ranked colleges. This is because being a higher-ranked college, NIFT Delhi receives a higher number of applicants. Another f
S
Contributor-Level 10
Sayeba Naushad is a commerce postgraduate from Banaras Hindu University. She has over five years of experience in content writing and editing. She has a nose for current events in design field. At Shiksha.com, she s
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