
NIFT 2026 counselling is expected to consist of three rounds. Three seat allotment rounds will be followed by an NIFT SPOT round. As part of the registration process, the candidate must select academic options and campus in order of priority and pay the registration fee. The registration fee for NIFT Counselling 2026 is around INR 9,300.
Candidates who have secured a valid Common Merit Rank (CMR) in the NIFT final result will be asked to register in the last week of June 2026 on the official NIFT counselling portal: https://nift.admissions.nic.in. Registration is mandatory to participate in the Counselling / Seat Allocation Process.
NIFT 2026 Counselling will start in the last week of June 2026 and will end in the last week of July 2026. After the regular seat allotment round, Spot counselling will begin in the first week of August 2026.
Also read:
The allotment of seats will be based on:
- Choice opted at the time of counseling registration (academic programs + campuses)
- The category of the candidate
- Seat intake in the college opted for admission
- NIFT 2025 merit rank of the candidate.
NIFT 2025 seat allotment process will be conducted in four regular and one spot rounds.
The 1st round of seat allotment will be declared around the 3rd week of June 2025. .
The counseling registration will be conducted in May 2025.
NIFT Counselling Process has the following steps:
- Registration and Choice filling by the candidates
- Uploading of documents
- Paying the Seat Acceptance Fee
- Document Verification
- Receiving of Allotment Letter.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) conducted NIFT 2024 seat allotment for SPOT Round on July 27, 2024.
The seat allotment for the fourth round was announced on July 17, 2024.
Candidates who were not happy with the allotted seat or simply wanted to withdraw their seats could withdraw their seats by July 19 (midnight).
To withdraw their seats, the candidate had to follow these steps:
- Go to the NIFT admission portal
- Log in to the portal
- If will see an option for seat withdrawal.
- Click on the option and confirm the withdrawal process
- Once the withdrawal is confirmed, the allotted seat will get cancelled.
- Note that if you withdraw from the admission process, you will not be considered for seat allotment in subsequent rounds. Also, once the withdrawal process is complete, the seat acceptance fee will be refunded to you.
- NIFT Counselling Process 2026 - Registration, Guidelines and Schedule
- NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates
- NIFT 2026 Seat Allotment Criteria
- NIFT Counselling 2026 - Document Checklist
- NIFT 2026 Counselling & Seat Allotment - Eligibility Criteria
- NIFT SPOT Counselling 2026
- NIFT Admissions 2026: Withdrawal of Seat & Refund of Fee
- NIFT 2026: Test components and Weightage
- NIFT Counselling 2026 - FAQs
NIFT Counselling Process 2026 - Registration, Guidelines and Schedule
To participate in the NIFT 2026 counselling process, candidates need to register for the same at the NIFT website.
Step 1: Registration and Choice filling by candidates
Candidates who are shortlisted for the counselling process need to get:
- Register for NIFT counselling at the official website of the institute
- Pay the registration fee of INR 9,300 (non-refundable)
- Fill in the choices of academic programs and campuses
Note: Choices have to be locked on/before the last date of choice filling, or else the last filled choices will get locked
Step 2: Upload documents
Log in to the NIFT admission portal and upload all the required documents.
Step 3: Pay the Seat Acceptance Fee 2026
Candidates who have been allocated seats will have to pay the seat-acceptance fees of INR 1,83,200 (approx.). The seat acceptance fees have to be paid online through the Admission Portal only.
Step 4: Take part in Document and Fee Verification
All the documents submitted by the candidate and the fee paid will be verified by the admission cell.
Step 5: Receive Allotment Letter
Once all the above-mentioned steps are completed, allotment letters will be sent to selected candidates via email.
NIFT Counselling Dates and Schedule
The following table shows the tentative dates for NIFT Seat Allotment Round 1:
Event: Seat Allotment Round 1 | Date / Timeline (Tentative) |
---|---|
Registration and Document Uploading | Last week of June 2026 – First week of July 2026 |
Document Verification | Last week of June 2026 – First week of July 2026 |
Choice Filling and Locking | Last week of June 2026 – First week of July 2026 |
Seat Allotment | First week of July 2026 |
Willingness Submission & Admission Fee Payment | First week of July 2026 |
The following table shows the tentative dates for NIFT Seat Allotment Round 2:
Event: Seat Allotment Round 2 | Date / Timeline (tentative) |
---|---|
Correction in Application Form | Second week of July 2026 |
Document Verification (for corrected applications) | Second week of July 2026 |
Choice Filling / Modifications | Second week of July 2026 |
Seat Allotment | Third week of July 2026 |
Willingness Submission & Admission Fee Payment | Third week of July 2026 |
Withdrawal | Third week of July 2026 |
Refer to the following PDFs for NIFT 2026 Counselling guidelines and schedules.
- NIFT 2025 Seat Allocation Guidelines: Click Here
- User Guide for NIFT UG and PG Counselling 2025: Click Here
- NIFT 2025 Counselling Schedule: Click Here
NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 Exam Dates
Take a look at the table below for the complete schedule of NIFT Entrance Exam 2026 exam
Dates | Upcoming Exam Dates |
---|---|
May ' 26 - Jun ' 26 | NIFT Stage 2: M.Des and M.F.M Interview TENTATIVE |
Jun ' 26 | NIFT Stage 2: M.F.Tech Personal Interview TENTATIVE |
Jun ' 26 | NIFT Final Result TENTATIVE |
Jun ' 26 - Jul ' 26 | NIFT Registration for e-Counselling / Seat Allotment TENTATIVE |
NIFT 2026 Seat Allotment Criteria
Counselling: Jun ' 26 - Jul ' 26
The 19 NIFT campuses collectively offer a total of around 4,837 seats across various programs, including B.Des, M.Des, M.F.Tech, B.F.Tech, and MFM. The following factors will be taken into consideration for NIFT 2026 Seat Allotment:
- Candidate's merit rank in NIFT 2026
- Seat intake for the applied programme
- Options (campus + academic program) selected by the candidate
- Admission category - Open, SC, ST, PwD, etc.
Commonly asked questions
There are 19 NIFTs that will accept NIFT 2026 Scores for admission purposes. These institutes are known as participating colleges.
However, in addition to the participating colleges, there are other private colleges that will also consider NIFT 2026 scores for admission to their UG and PG design courses. The candidates are urged to go through the list of result-sharing institutes.
The candidate will need the following documents to participate in the NIFT counselling process: Class 12/ degree mark sheet and certificate. Further, if the candidate is seeking admission to the PG course, then the candidate will also have to upload mark sheets and certificates of the qualifying degree examination.
In case of candidates who have appeared for the qualifying exam/ compartment (of final year/semester) and the result is due need to upload the date sheet /admit card for the examination. Other documents required are a Birth certificate, Category certificate, Medical fitness certificate, signed by a Registered Medical Practitioner in the prescribed format in original.
The National Institite of Design (NID) will release the answer sheets of the candidate after the declaration of the FINAL results. Further, the answer sheets will only be available on request, only after the admission process is complete.
The answer sheet is not be issued during the admission process.
To request the answer sheet for the admission cycle 2025-26, the candidate has to make a payment of INR 1000 online/ per exam. The candidate will also have to furnish the NID DAT 2025 admit card duly signed by the invigilator and seal of the exam center with the request.
The answer sheet will be sent to the candidate within 15-20 days after receiving the payment.
The National Institute of Design will, however, not release any answer keys for the DAT Prelims exam.
NIFT Counselling 2026 - Document Checklist
At the time of NIFT 2026 counselling, the candidate will be required to present the following documents:
Documents required for NIFT Counselling 2026 |
|
---|---|
Qualifying examination |
12th class/ degree (marks Sheet and Certificate) Note: In case of admission to PG courses, the candidate will also have to upload mark sheets and certificates of the qualifying degree examination. If the candidate has appeared in the final semester/ final year exam, then he/she has to upload mark sheets of all previous semesters/years. |
The candidate has appeared for the qualifying exam/compartment (of final year/semester) and the result is due. |
The date sheet /admit card for the examination has to be brought. |
Proof of Date of Birth |
10+2 mark sheet/certificate. (Original and Photocopy). |
Certificate of category |
SC, ST, OBC-NCL, GEN-EWS
|
Basis of funding of the tuition fee |
Certificate of the parents' income, e.g., Income Tax Return, Salary Certificate, etc. |
Medical Fitness certificate |
To be signed by a Registered Medical Practitioner in the prescribed format in original. |
Provisional Admission |
Affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper of INR.10/- for seeking provisional admission only in case the result of qualifying examination is yet to be declared (in the format at Annexure-I) |
Size and format of documents to be uploaded |
|
Useful Resources |
- The counseling documents should be in Hindi/ English.
- If any of the documents are in any other language, then a certified translation in Hindi/English, duly verified by the issuing institution/ gazetted officer / Self-attested (original and photocopy) should be produced by the candidate at the time of counseling.
Commonly asked questions
The category-wise cut-off for the Accessory Design programme for NIFT Bangalore campus is given below:
Category | Opening Rank | Closing Rank |
EWS | 1099 | 2179 |
OBC (NC) | 438 | 1333 |
Open | 35 | 482 |
SC | 2034 | 4214 |
ST | 2839 | 7286 |
Note that reserved category candidates will be considered for admission to both their reserved and open categories.
Yes, a non-refundable registration fee is applicable during the counselling process. The amount and payment details will be mentioned in the official counselling notification.
NIFT 2026 Counselling & Seat Allotment - Eligibility Criteria
To participate in the NIFT counselling process, the candidate needs to meet the following conditions.
Program | Entrance exam | Qualifying exam |
---|---|---|
UG programs | Qualified NIFT Entrance Exam |
|
Appeared for SAT (for Bachelor's program) and has a valid score received by NIFT |
- | |
Qualified NIFT Entrance Exam for Artisan/ Children of Artisan category |
- | |
Qualified NLEA Entrance Exam |
The candidate must have passed:
|
|
M.Des and MFM | The candidate must have qualified in NIFT Entrance Exam or appeared for GMAT and has a valid score received by NIFT |
The candidate must have a valid UG degree:
|
M.F.Tech | The candidate must have qualified in NIFT Entrance Exam or appeared for GMAT and have a valid score received by NIFT |
The candidate must meet any of the following criteria:
|
Commonly asked questions
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will release the schedule and complete details of NIFT 2025 counseling after final results are declared.
NIFT counseling will be conducted in four regular and one spot rounds.
Note that seats that are left vacant will be offered in the SPOT round.
The counseling registration process will be OPEN from the 1st week of June 2025. The candidate can check their eligibility for counseling by logging into the result portal.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) will release the seat allotment of NIFT 2025 for Round I around the 3rd week of June 2025.
The seat allotment will be based on the merit rank of candidates and academic option picked at the time of counseling registration.
Such candidates who are allotted seats have to submit willingness and pay the admission fee by the given deadline.
Note that NIFT 2025 counseling will be conducted in four regular and one spot rounds. The admission fee amount for regular seats at all campuses is INR 1,83,000.
NRI Sponsored candidates need to pay INR 6,88, 4000 or INR 9,72,000 depending on the campus they have been allocated.
No, the NTA will not conduct the counseling for NIFT 2025. Its role is limited only to the conduct of the NIFT 2025 written exam and declaration of results.
The NIFT 2025 counseling process is being conducted by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).
Candidates who qualify in the NIFT 2025 exam have to register for counseling through the NIFT admission portal - nift.ac.in/admission. The counseling registration link is currently being activated.
Visiting the page to register for NIFT 2025 counseling.
Note that as part of the counseling registration process, you need to fill in and lock choices. The seat allotment will be done post document verification after considering factors like merit rank and choices opted.
NIFT SPOT Counselling 2026
NIFT Spot Counselling is counselling which is used to fill the remaining vacant seats across the NIFT institutes after the regular rounds of Seat Allotment. In NIFT Counselling 2026, NIFT SPOT Round will be used to fill the vacancies, which are available in all NIFT Campuses after the last Round of Admission Fee Payment and withdrawal.
The NIFT Spot Counselling tentative vacancy list, course- and campus-wise, will be made available on the official NIFT Admissions Portal: https://nift.admissions.nic.in/tentative-vacancy-position/. The result of the Seat Allotment of SPOT Round Counselling will be made available in the candidate's login ID at https://nift.admissions.nic.in. Candidates who will be allotted a seat can download their Provisional Admission Letter from their portal.
Eligibility Criteria for NIFT Spot Counselling 2026
In the NIFT Spot Round 2026, all the eligible candidates, including absentees of previous rounds of counselling, will be allowed to participate in the Spot Round of counselling, except those who became ineligible during document verification due to NIFT cut-off marks or any other valid reasons, age, etc.
Non-eligibility Criteria for NIFT Spot Counselling
In the NIFT Spot counselling 2026, those candidates who became ineligible during the registration or the document verification process of the main counselling will not be eligible.
Also Read:
NIFT Spot Counselling: Vacancy Position
The vacancies for the Spot counselling of NIFT 2026 are for those seats in all NIFT Campuses after the last round of Admission Fee Payment and withdrawal.
NIFT Registration Process Rules: Spot Counselling
The online registration process for NIFT Spot Counselling will be similar to the earlier registration. Candidates who desire to participate in the Spot Round should log in to the NIFT Counselling portal and complete the registration process.
Spot Round Participation Fee
• Newly registered candidates will pay the participation/registration fee of around Rs. 5,000/- before choice filling.
• Candidates who have already paid the seat acceptance fee and have not withdrawn in any previous rounds are exempted from the registration fee of Rs 5,000/-.
• Registration fee/Participation Fee of Rs. 5,000/- is non-refundable.
Document Verification Rules
Document verification rules will be the same as NIFT Counselling Round 1. The document verification process will be only for new candidates.
Spot Round Choice Filling & Locking
- Choice Filling can be done by only those candidates who have paid the participation fee and whose documents have been verified.
- All the choices will be shown to the candidate irrespective of whether a seat is available or not, because during processing few virtual vacancies may arise.
- For all provisionally admitted candidates who have already paid the admission fee, if they desire to participate in the Spot Round, then during choice filling, the provisionally admitted campus & program where he/she has already completed admission will not appear in the list of available choices. After locking, the admitted choice will automatically be added in the last position of the newly filled choices.
- Lock Choice button will be enabled as per the NIFT 2026 counselling schedule.
- If candidates fail to explicitly lock their choices by the last date & time, their last saved choices will be automatically locked by the system after this deadline.
- All the choice filling features will be the same as the main counselling choice-filling process.
NIFT Spot Counselling 2026: Seat Allotment
- Choices of all such candidates who have completed all the steps will be processed as per business rules.
- The last allotted choice of all admitted candidates of previous rounds, who have not participated in the Spot Round of counselling, will also be processed for category upgradation only.
- Conversion of seats will be applicable in the Spot Round of seat allotment as per the conversion rules.
Seat Allotment Result Publishing 2026
The NIFT Spot Counselling Seat Allotment Result 2026 will be published on the official website tentatively in the second week of August 2026. Candidates need to download the “Provisional Allotment Letter”. NIFT Opening and closing ranks will also be published in the public portal.
Online Payment of Admission Fee
Candidates who have been allotted a seat must pay the fees before the deadline to avoid any cancellation of the seat.
NIFT Spot Counselling Schedule 2026
The dates and events for NIFT Spot counselling 2026 are:
Event: Spot Counselling | Dates & Deadlines (Tentative) |
---|---|
Spot Round Registration & Participation Fee Payment | First week of August 2026 |
Document Verification for New Registered Candidates | First week of August 2026 |
Choice Filling/Modifications and Locking | First week of August 2026 |
Seat Allotment Result | Second week of August 2026 |
Admission Fee Payment | Second week of August 2026 |
Physical Reporting at Allotted Institute | Second week of August 2026 |
NIFT Admissions 2026: Withdrawal of Seat & Refund of Fee
Candidates who are allotted seats in the first few rounds of seat allotment will be given the option to withdraw from the admission process. If the candidate withdraws on or before the given deadline, then the candidate will be refunded the full fee minus the registration fee. However, if the candidate withdraws after the due date, only the Security Deposit will be refunded.
Particulars |
Amount to be refunded |
---|---|
Withdrawal requests received on the Admission Portal before the given deadline |
The full fee is to be refunded after deducting the registration fee of INR 9,300 |
Withdrawal request after the deadline |
Only the Security Deposit will be refunded |
Candidates can go through the options available for seat withdrawal along with a fee refund for NRI/ SAARC/ Foreign National/ OCI Candidates/ Children/wards of NRI below:
Particulars | Amount to be refunded |
---|---|
Withdrawal requests after confirmation of seat requests received online on the portal till the stipulated date. No physical request will be entertained. | Full fee except for 50% tuition fee and registration fee |
Refund initiated stipulated date onwards | Only the security deposit |
NIFT 2026 Seat Withdrawal Option and Important Points
If the candidate has accepted a seat allotted by NIFT:
- The seat can be withdrawn online starting from the 2nd round.
- Seats can be withdrawn only up to the penultimate round.
- Candidates who have withdrawn their seats will not be considered for seat allotment in subsequent rounds.
- After the seat allotment results have been announced for the last round of counselling, there will be no option to withdraw the allotted seat.
Step-wise process to withdraw NIFT 2026 seat
To exercise the withdrawal option, the candidate needs to follow these two steps:
- Confirm on the NIFT portal - The candidate will have to log in to the portal and confirm their withdrawal from the seat allocation process. On confirmation, the allotted seat will be cancelled. Further, the candidate will not be considered for seat allotment in subsequent rounds.
- The seat acceptance fee will be refunded to the candidate; for the refund amount, check the table given above.
NIFT 2026: Test components and Weightage
Check below the components and weightage of the NIFT 2026 entrance exam, based on which candidates will be shortlisted for seat allotment:
Weightage for NIFT UG Programmes
NIFT UG programmes have the following weightage:
Programme | GAT | CAT | Situation Test | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
B.Des | 30% | 50% | 20% | 100% |
B.F.Tech | GAT (Sec-A): 30% GAT (Sec-B): 70% | – | – | 100% |
B.F.Tech candidates opting for B.Des | 30% | 50% | 20% | 100% |
Weightage for NIFT PG Programmes
NIFT PG programmes have the following weightage:
Programme | GAT | CAT | Personal Interview | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
M.F.M | GAT (Section A & B): 70% | – | 30% | 100% |
M.Des | GAT (Section A): 30% | 40% | 30% | 100% |
M.F.M candidates opting for M.Des | GAT (Section A): 30% | 40% | 30% | 100% |
M.F.Tech | 70% | – | 30% | 100% |
Also Read:
NIFT Counselling 2026 - FAQs
Commonly asked questions
The NIFTs are ranked among the top design colleges in India. As per India Today 2023 rankings for top fashion design colleges in India, the top 8 positions were occupied by NIFTs. In India Today 2022 rankings as well, the top eight positions were occupied by the NIFTs. NIFT Delhi was the number one ranked college, followed by NIFT Mumbai and NIFT Bangalore, in 2nd and 3rd positions. Speaking of placements at NIFT, candidates passing out of NIFT Delhi on average earns INR 5.5 LPA. Meanwhile, candidates passing out of NIFT Kolkata earns about INR 5.7 LPA. In comparison, NIFT Bengaluru pass outs can expect an average salary of INR 3 Lacs LPA.
In NIFT counselling process, documents of candidates are verified and they are offered a seat for admission in a specific course and college depending on their NIFT rank. As part of the NIFT counselling process, candidates need to get registered and enter preferences of academic programme. Academic programme in this sense means selection of the academic course and NIFT; entries should be in the order of priority. The counseling process for NIFT 2024 is being held online as a centralized seat-allotment process. The allotment of seats will be based on NIFT 2024 merit rank and college/ course picked at the time of registration. Post seat allotment, candidates need to pay the seat-acceptance fees.
The B. Des programme has an intake capacity of 2,884 seats for All-India candidates.
In addition, there are 300 state-domicile.
Admission to the B. Des programme at NIFTs will be based on performance of the candidate in GAT CAT and Situation Test. Candidates are shortlisted for the Situation Test based on their performance in the written exams. The B. Des programme offers specialisation in Fashion Design (FD), Leather Design (LD), Accessory Design (AD), Textile Design (TD), Knitwear Design (KD), and Fashion Communication (FC). The candidate will be able to select their programme of study at the time of counseling and seat allotment.
NIFT Entrance Exam Exam
Student Forum
Answered a month ago
The fee for M.Des programme offered at NIFT is around INR 8 Lakhs.
Fee Components | Fee Amount (2 Years) (2025) |
---|---|
Tuition Fees | 5.86 Lakhs |
Hostel Fees* | 2.21 Lakhs |
One-time payment* | 27,200 |
Total fees | 8.35 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.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The fee of the B.Des programme at NIFT is around INR 14 lakhs.
Semester | NIFT Fees 2024 (INR) | NIFT Fees 2025 (INR) |
---|---|---|
Semester 1 | 1,83,200 | 1,91,700 |
Semester 2 | 1,43,000 | 1,50,000 |
Semester 3 | 1,69,800 | 1,78,700 |
Semester 4 | 1,50,000 | 1,58,000 |
Semester 5 | 1,78,700 | 1,87,800 |
Semester 6 | 1,58,000 | 1,66,000 |
Semester 7 | 1,93,700 | 2,03,200 |
Semester 8 | 1,66,000 | 1,74,000 |
Total (4 Years) | 13,42,400 | 14,09,400 |
S
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
S
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
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered a month ago
The educational qualification for NIFT admissions varies from course to course:
Programme | Educational 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
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
S
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
Contributor-Level 10
47 Institutes accepting NIFT Entrance Exam
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi
Hauz khas, Delhi • Public
- ₹ 6.16 Lakh
- 2 years
- |
- Full Time
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bangalore
H.S.R Layout, Bangalore • Public
- ₹ 6.16 Lakh
- 2 years
- |
- Full Time
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai
Navi Mumbai • Public
- ₹ 12.96 Lakh
- 4 years
- |
- Full Time
National Institute of Fashion Technology, Chennai
Taramani, Chennai • Public
- ₹ 9.02 Lakh
- 3 years
- |
- Full Time
What is the fee for M.Des programme offered at NIFT?