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

National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam 2026 ( NIFT Entrance Exam )

Sayeba
Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager
Updated on Apr 23, 2025 17:02 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

The NIFTs are the premier design schools in India. NIFT Delhi, NIFT Mumbai, and NIFT Bangalore, to name a few, are frequently ranked among the top design colleges in India. So, it is no surprise to see most students seek admission to an NIFT and START a successful career in fashion design. Set up in 1986 under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, as a registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. NIFT was given the status of a Statutory Institute as part of the NIFT Act 2006.

On its establishment, NIFT instructors were from the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, USA. Further, distinguished personalities from the field of fashion and design were recruited to form the 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.

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Delhi
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Bangalore
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Navi Mumbai
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Chennai
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Hyderabad
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Table of content
  • NIFT Accreditation
  • NIFT Admission Process
  • NIFT Speciality Areas & How it is different from other Design schools
  • Why Should Students Opt to Secure Admission at NIFTs
  • List of NIFTs
  • NIFT Admissions
  • Famous Alumni of NIFT
View More

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. 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 the National Institute of Fashion Technology apart from them is that it offers more in-depth and diverse courses related to the fashion industry. 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, the 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 fashion design college in the country. “Anything in the textile and apparel industry that is undertaken by the GOI is entrusted to 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 in 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

NIFT Varanasi

2024

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

NIFT Admissions

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

Also Read:

Famous Alumni of NIFT

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

 

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Sayeba Naushad
Assistant Manager
Sayeba is an editorial professional with over 5 years of experience in content creation, editing and proofreading. She holds a master's degree in commerce, which has helped her develop a strong attention to detail a Read Full Bio
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Answered a month ago

The fee for M.Des programme offered at NIFT is around INR 8 Lakhs.

Fee ComponentsFee Amount (2 Years) (2025)
Tuition Fees5.86 Lakhs
Hostel Fees*2.21 Lakhs
One-time payment*27,200
Total fees8.35 Lakhs

* Hostel fee is calculated on the basis of 1st year. Actual amount may vary. The fees might include components other than hostel fees. Meal Plan is not included in the mentioned fee.

*One-time payment includes Refundable Security Depos

...Read more

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The fee of the B.Des programme at NIFT is around INR 14 lakhs.

SemesterNIFT Fees 2024 (INR)NIFT Fees 2025 (INR)
Semester 11,83,2001,91,700
Semester 21,43,0001,50,000
Semester 31,69,8001,78,700
Semester 41,50,0001,58,000
Semester 51,78,7001,87,800
Semester 61,58,0001,66,000
Semester 71,93,7002,03,200
Semester 81,66,0001,74,000
Total (4 Years)13,42,40014,09,400

 

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi, is the best based on the India Today ranking (2025). 

NIFT Delhi is considered the best NIFT campus in India because of the following:

  • It consistently ranks No. 1 among all NIFTs (India Today Ranking: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021)

  • It has

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S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The NIFT entrance exam is considered moderately difficult. The level of difficulty of the exam depends on a student's strengths and preparation. Since seats are limited and competition is high, even average questions feel tougher due to the pressure.

  • B.Des exam tests creativity, design aptitude, obse

...Read more

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

The educational qualification for NIFT admissions varies from course to course:

ProgrammeEducational Qualification Required
B.Des (Bachelor of Design)Passed 10+2 (Class 12) in any stream (Science, Commerce, Arts, Humanities) from a recognised board
B.FTech (Bachelor of Fashion Technology)Passed 10+2 (Class 12) in any stream, but Mathematics as a subject in 10+2 is compulsory
M.Des (Master of Design)Undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university
M.FTech (Master of Fashion Technology)B.FTech from NIFT or B.E./B.Tech from a recognised university
MFM (Master of Fashion Management)Undergraduate degree in any discipline from a recognised university

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered a month ago

There are a total of 19 NIFTs in India that participate in the NIFT admission process. The participating institutes offer B.Des, M.Des, B.F.Tech, M.F.Tech, and M.F.M courses. Admission to the participating institutes will be on the basis of NIFT scores.

NIFT Varanasi has been newly added to the list

...Read more

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 2 months ago

Yes, candidates who have passed their H.S.C. vocational examination may apply for admission to the B.Des program.

S

Sayeba Naushad

Contributor-Level 10