About the Institute
NIFT was established during 1986-1987 at Delhi with its immediate objective fulfill the long felt need of the export oriented garment industry to have trained manpower in different disciplines like Fashion Designing, Garment Manufacturing Technology and Apparel Marketing and Merchandising. The exporting community started deriving tremendous benefits from NIFT as the graduates passing out NIFT stand distinguished from such manpower coming from some other sources.
The hallmark of a NIFT graduate is that he or she can think boldly and independently and come out with extremely creative designs of a high order, not to speak of initiatives in the areas of strategic planning, garment manufacturing technology and response to consumer needs and tastes and preferences.

Objectives of NIFT
To assist the fashion industry in India in meeting challenges of industrial competitiveness on a global plane is its prime objective. It provides professional expertise to the industry, which is vital in the immediate context of our national aim of strengthening its potential of meeting foreign exchange earning and generating employment. Its specific objectives for which the institute was established are:
To award diplomas, certificates and other academic awards at various levels to trained candidates and other distinctions;

To institute and award fellowship, scholarship, prizes and medals in accordance with Rules, Regulations and Byelaws;

To confer honorary awards and other distinctions;