Why join NIFT – How is National Institute of Fashion Technology different from other design colleges

National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2025 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )

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Updated on Apr 9, 2024 15:28 IST

The NIFTs are easily the most in-demand colleges for pursuing a design course in India. One major reason for their popularity is, they frequently top the rankings of top colleges. Here we bring you the list of NIFTs in India and discuss why students should join this design school. Also, learn about the NIFT specialty areas, the admission process, and famous alumni.

 How are NIFTs better & different from other design schools

NIFT or National Institute of Fashion Technology is a premier design school in India. Most students who wish to make a career in fashion design aspire to study at NIFT.

Set up in 1986 under the aegis of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. NIFT was given the status of a Statutory Institute as part of the NIFT Act 2006.

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On its establishment, NIFT instructors were from Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, USA. Further, distinguished personalities from the field of fashion and design were recruited to form in-house faculty of NIFT. “Pupul Jaykar Hall at NIFT headquarters in New Delhi is a reminiscence of many educational thinkers and visionaries who have been instrumental to the institute's road map to success”, informs the official website.

Q:   Is M.Des at NIFT Bangalore better than Pearl Academy Bengaluru?

A:

When you're comparing M.Des programs at NIFT Bangalore and Pearl Academy Bengaluru, it's like picking between two good options. But I will go with NIFT for sure! It has better recognition and vast placement opportunities. The statutory institute was set up in 1986 under the aegis of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.When comparing M.Des programs at NIFT Bangalore and Pearl Academy Bengaluru, both are good options. However, NIFT is a national institute that provides more exposure and advantages, and offers a better alumni base than Pearl Academy. NIFT is recognized worldwide and offers immense exposure and internships, which help students to know the real situation. The faculty at NIFT is highly experienced, which helps in better industry exposure. Pearl Academy is considered one of the best fashion designing colleges in Delhi. Therefore, it depends on individual preferences and priorities when choosing between the two institutions.

Q:   Which is better for pursuing a BDes - IIT Bombay or NIFT Mumbai?

A:

Both IIT Bombay and NIFT Mumbai are recognised for their BDes course. For better comparison, below are some parameters to compare BDes programme of both the institutes:

ParameterIIT BombayNIFT Mumbai
Total tuition fee*INR 8 Lacs - INR 11.6 lakhINR 5.6 Lacs - INR 11.7 lakh
Overall NIRF Ranking 20234NA
SpecialisationIndustrial Design, Communication Design, Animation, etc.Fashion Design, Fashion Communication, Textile Design, etc.
Selection criteriaUCEEDNIFT Entrance Exam

*The fee is taken from an unofficial source. Hence, data might vary.

Q:   Does B.Des. in Accessory Design have a better placement rate than B.Des, in Textile Design at NIFT Bhubaneswar?

A:

NIFT Bhubaneswar offers Bachelor of Design programs in both Textile Design and Accessory Design, both of which are highly regarded within the fashion and design industry. The placement rates for these programs may vary from year to year based on multiple factors such as industry demands, students' skills, and market trends. Specific data on placement rates for these programs at NIFT Bhubaneswar might not be readily available or might fluctuate annually.

However, it's essential to note that both Textile Design and Accessory Design programs at NIFT Bhubaneswar provide excellent opportunities for students to develop specialised skills and gain practical experiences through internships, industry collaborations, and projects. The institute's strong industry connections and collaborations with leading stakeholders in the fashion and design sector enhance the prospects for securing placements and job opportunities.

Choosing between the Textile Design and Accessory Design programs should align with individual career aspirations and interests. Both programs offer distinct skill sets:

  • Textile Design focuses on fabric construction, surface ornamentation, and textile innovation.
  • Accessory Design emphasizes the creation of fashion accessories such as jewelry, footwear, bags, and other lifestyle products.

The decision regarding which programme might have a "better" placement rate depends on factors beyond just the programme itself. Individual preferences, strengths, career goals, and the evolving demands of the industry should guide this decision.

NIFT Accreditation

NIFT Act 2006 published in the Gazette of India on July 14, 2006 confers Statutory Status on the institute. This Act came into effect from April 1, 2007.

As per the act the President of India is the 'Visitor' of NIFT. Also, the act gives NIFT the power to award Degrees as well as other distinctions on completion of the course. NIFT is the first design institute in India that can award its own degrees.

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The Degrees awarded by NIFT are recognised by academia worldwide. The design institute is known to confer Degrees to the graduates as part of the Convocation Ceremony which is conducted each year.

NIFT Admission Process

Admission to design courses at the NIFTs is conducted through the NIFT entrance exam.

The NIFT is a two-step exam. The candidate first appears in the GAT and CAT written exams. If shortlisted, the candidate will have to appear in a Situation Test/ Personal Interview.  

NIFT Speciality Areas & How it is different from other Design schools

There are many other popular design colleges in India. However, what sets National Institute of Fashion Technology apart from them is that it offers more in-depth and diverse courses related to the fashion industry.

Q:   Is NIFT Mumbai the best in Mumbai?

A:
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Mumbai is well-regarded for its fashion design and technology programs. It is ranked highly for its fashion design, fashion technology, and design programs by various ranking agencies such as India Today and The Week. The institute offers good infrastructure, including a digital library, air-conditioned classrooms, and Wi-Fi facilities. However, opinions on placements vary, with some reviews mentioning underwhelming offers and below-average placements. Therefore, while NIFT Mumbai is highly ranked for its academic programs, the assessment of whether it is the "best" in Mumbai may depend on individual priorities such as academic reputation, infrastructure, and placement opportunities.

Q:   Which has better placement at NIFT Gandhinagar, B.Des in fashion communication or B.Des in fashion design?

A:

At NIFT Gandhinagar, a B.Des in fashion design is better to a B.Des in fashion communication. Top firms like Amazon, Myntra, and Nykaa placed students pursuing a B.Des in fashion design. In fashion design, over 90% of students were placed in top firms; in fashion communication, 80% of students placed in top companies after completing their B.Des.

NIFT Gandhinagar offers a better B.Des in fashion design, but current trends indicate that the fashion industry is looking for more people with digital and communication skills. Depending on their unique demands, different organisations hire from various programmes. For more information on placement rates and organisations recruited for each programme, it is recommended to get in touch with the NIFT Gandhinagar placement department.

Q:   Which is better for MDes: NIFT Delhi or NIFT Mumbai?

A:

A comparison between both the NIFTs is presented below for their MDes programmes:

Institute Names

Total Tuition Fee

Eligibility Criteria

NIFT Delhi

INR 5.9 lakh

Bachelor's degree in any discipline

NIFT Mumbai

INR 5.6 lakh

Bachelor's degree in any discipline

At NIFT “they teach you about fabrics, illustration, aesthetic sense, garment construction, styling etc. The education system at NIFT is such that we are taught more about apparels. Also, NIFT teaches you in and out of everything related to fashion”, shares Shreya an alumni of NIFT Delhi.

Sharing the same thoughts Shiksha’s Design stream expert, Shipra Anand said, “NIFT focuses on Fashion and Apparel sector while NID and IDC focus on Industrial Design and Communication Design sector”.

Why Should Students Opt to Secure Admission at NIFTs

One of the aspects due to which aspirants should opt to secure admission at any of the NIFTs is their placement and Shipra even shared that the best placements in fashion industry take place at NIFT.

She further revealed other reasons to select NIFT as a college choice by saying, “NIFT has student exchange tie-ups with more than 32 countries in the world. Hence, best exposure and opportunities for higher education or design interventions happen through NIFT”. It’s not just this, even the Government of India considers NIFT to be the premier most fashion design college in the country. “Anything in textile and apparel industry that is undertaken by the GOI is entrusted with NIFT. For example: Metro uniforms were designed by NIFT, new blankets in railways were designed by NIFT, khadi innovations happen with NIFT, craft clusters under GOI also happen with NIFT”, informed Shipra.

List of NIFTs

NIFT has its headquarters at New Delhi. The list of NIFTs along with their year of establishment is mentioned below:

NIFT Campus

Year of Establishment

NIFT New Delhi

1986

NIFT Gandhinagar

1995

NIFT Hyderabad

1995

NIFT Chennai

1995

NIFT Mumbai

1995

NIFT Kolkata

1995

NIFT Bengaluru

1996

NIFT Rae Bareli

2007

NIFT Bhopal

2008

NIFT Kannur

2008

NIFT Shillong

2008

NIFT Patna

2008

NIFT Kangra

2009

NIFT Bhubaneswar

2010

NIFT Jodhpur

2010

NIFT Srinagar

2016

NIFT Panchkula

2019

Also Read: List of NIFTs in India: Rankings, Admissions, Courses and Fees

NIFT Admissions

Aspirants can secure admission in National Institute of Fashion Technology on the basis of their rank/score in NIFT Entrance Exam. Candidates can secure admission through NIFT entrance exam in design disciplines like:

Also Read:

Famous Alumni

NIFT is known to be the alma mater of famous designers in India. Some eminent alumni of NIFT are listed below:

Rohit Bal, Fashion Designer

Ritu Beri, Fashion Designer

Manish Arora, Fashion Designer

Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Fashion Designer

JJ Valaya, Fashion Designer

Prabal Gurung, Fashion Designer

Govind Kumar Singh, Fashion Designer

Shantanu Goenka, Fashion Designer

Rajesh Pratap Singh, Fashion Designer

Shivaji Dutta, Fashion Designer

Tanya Gyani, Interior Designer

Neha Sharma, Actress

Gulshan Devaiah, Actor

Kritika Kamra , Actress

Nikita Anand, Model/Actress

Riya Sen, Actress

Karan Mehra, Actor

Nikunj Malik, Actress

Read More:

About the Author

This is a collection of news and articles on various topics ranging from course selection to college selection tips, exam preparation strategy to course comparison and more. The topics are from various streams inclu... Read Full Bio

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Answered 3 weeks ago

Here are the cut-off ranks for NIFT entrance examination in all India category for admission in National Institute Of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Raebareli :

B.Des in Accessory Design - Last closing rank at 3628 . 

B.Des in Fashion Communication - Last Closing rank at 1808 .

B.Des in Fashion Design - Las

...more

A

Anamika Jha

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 weeks ago

No, Direct admission are not accepted in National Institute Of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Raebareli. Candidates must appear in the national level entrance examination- NIFT. NIFT is divided into two parts - Creative Ability Test (CAT) and General Ability Test (GAT). 

To know more about the institute,

...more

A

Anamika Jha

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 4 weeks ago

No, NIFT Entrance Exam is required in order to enrol in the B.Des programme at NIFT, Srinagar. Admission to their design programs requires passing the NIFT Entrance Exam. Candidates' ability and inventiveness are evaluated on this exam, and passing results are required to move forward with the selec

...more

M

Muskan

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The NIFT Srinagar accepts scores from the NIFT entrance test, after which candidates for admission to the BDes, MDes, BFTech, MFTech, and MFM programs go through a counselling process. The 2024 NIFT Spot Round Seat Allotment is now available. Candidates can verify their results by logging in on the

...more

M

Malavika

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

No, there is no negative marking in the NIFT entrance exam. Candidates are only penalized for incorrect answers if the question has multiple answers or if it's a descriptive question. The exam assesses creative and analytical skills through a variety of question types, including multiple-choice and

...more

S

Saurabh Singh

Contributor-Level 8

Answered 2 months ago

Yes, candidates belonging to the SC, and other reserved categories will be considered for admission under both the respective and open categories.

Considering you belong to the SC category, this means you will be considered for open and SC admission lists. If you meet the cut-off in any of these list

...more

M

Manashjyoti Hazarika

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

NIFT 2025 counseling process will be conducted online and will have multiple rounds.

In the previous edition of the exam, four regular rounds, followed by a SPOT round, of seat allotment was conducted. 

If you meet the cut-off in any of these rounds, you will be considered for admission in that round.

...more

M

Manashjyoti Hazarika

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

The cutoff for NIFT Jodhpur in the NIFT Entrance Exam varies based on the programme and category. For the General category in 2023, the overall cutoff ranks for different programs at NIFT Jodhpur were as follows:

 

B.Des Fashion Design: AIR 1384

B.Des Fashion Communication: AIR 1391

B.Des Textile Design

...more

S

Suhani Naudiyal

Beginner-Level 4

Answered 2 months ago

NIFT Hyderabad cutoff 2024 has been released across various specialisations in opening and closing ranks. NIFT Hyderabad BDes, MFM and MFTech cutoff 2024 ranged between 238 and 1351 for the General AI category candidates, wherein Master in Fashion Management (MFM) is the most competitive course. The

...more

N

Neha Arora

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

The NIFT Bengaluru admission cut-offs are now available for Round I, II, and III.

The cut-off has been released for all the 18 participating colleges.

To check the cut-off, you need to go to the https://admissions.nic.in/ portal.

Under eServices, select OR-CR.

The roundwise NIFT 2024 cut-off or closing

...more

M

Manashjyoti Hazarika

Contributor-Level 10