The fashion industry provides one of the most engaging, exciting, and well-paying, career options in today’s world. The current global apparel market is approximately 2 percent of the world GDP and provides livelihood to millions of people. The youth that has a penchant for creativity, style and innovation can carve their name on the global map.
Aakash Dewangan IRS, Director NIFT Kangra said that The National Institute of Fashion Technology was the first institute set up with the aim of providing skilled workforce for the apparel sector and is one of the most prestigious institutes of the country. The institute was set up in the year 1986 under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles. With courses in design, management, and technology, NIFT graduates are creating history, exploring new areas such as Fabric research, data analysis, virtual and augmented reality along with traditional fields of design in fashion, lifestyle, communication and management. Apart from this NIFT is also shaping the next generation of leaders to position India as a global retail destination.
Akash said that NIFT- Kangra is situated in Dev Bhoomi Himachal Pradesh and was established in the year 2009 with the vision to engage youth, skill them and promote local art, craft and textile of Himachal Pradesh. The institute is situated in the heart of the Himalayas and offers full-time 4 years Bachelor’s degree courses design with specializations in Fashion & Lifestyle Accessories, Fashion Communication, Fashion Design, Textile Design and a Bachelors in Fashion Technology with a specialization in Apparel Production. From the year 2021, the centre also offers a full-time 2 years Masters degree programme in Fashion Management.
The process admission is through a national level entrance exam that draws the attention of lakhs of students every year allowing the centre to boast of a pan-India student body. In addition to drawing the best from the country the centre provides 15 percent Himachal state domicile admission quota in all courses in addition to statutory reservations as provided under Government norms. The journey for the Institute has been amazing with 9 graduating batches till date that are placed in every corner of India and abroad. The career opportunities post these courses are – Fashion designer, Textile designer, textile artist, Fashion technologist, Merchandiser, Fashion Photographer, Fashion Editor, Product engineer, Graphic designer, Production Manager, Project Manager, Quality assurance & control, Entrepreneurs.
Some of the companies that have placed NIFT Kangra students are corporates like Microsoft, Decathlon, Triburg, Raymond’s, Arvind Mills, UCB, Esprit, Advertising agencies like Oglivy, Leo Burnett etc, Visual Merchandisers in Shoppers Stop, Pantaloons, Wild craft etc. Styling celebrities, movies and for magazines, designing apparel, footwear, bags, textiles, jewellery designing, cinema sets to books the spectrum is very wide for design graduates from NIFT Kangra, with centralised placements for all graduating batches, thereby ensuring parity in the NIFT system.
The academic curriculum of NIFT is continuously reinventing itself to stay abreast with the latest trends of the fashion industry such as slow fashion, handmade, sustainability, khadi homespun and craft. With millions of artisans and more than 70000 export houses, the artefact sector is one of the largest employment sectors in India. The graduates are working in this sector thus connecting rural craft to the urban mass market through product diversification, design intervention, quality improvement and marketing strategies. The graduates are Designers in craft sector, Managing crafts, Promoting crafts occupying various positions at DC Handicrafts & Handlooms, etc.
He said that NIFT Kangra has world-class infrastructure with in-campus girl’s hostel, latest laboratories, machinery, gymnasium, auditorium, resource centre equipped with the best periodicals and research tools, IT labs, sports and canteen facility. Infrastructure on this campus is at par with the best institutes across the country and is administered with a constant commitment to groom and nurture world-class design, management and technology professionals for the apparel, lifestyle, textile and fashion Industry said Aakash Dewangan IRS, Director NIFT Kangra. He said that the NIFT Kangra is indeed the doorway to the glamorous world of creativity and ever-changing design industry.
