Mumbai : 24 February 2023

Union Minister for Textiles, Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal was the Chief Guest at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) for the Convocation Ceremony of the class of 2022 at its campus at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai today.  This year, 286 students (208 UG and 78 PG) from the class of 2022 received Undergraduate and Postgraduate Degrees from NIFT, Mumbai.  Guests of honour for the event were Rachna Shah, Secretary (Textiles), Ministry of Textiles & Chairperson, BOG-NIFT and Rohit Kansal, Director General, NIFT.

Addressing the students on the occasion Union Minister for Textiles, Commerce & Industry and  Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal  referred to how the institution can evolve to compete on a global level and said, “It will be good if the NIFT Academic Council considers adding courses which could hone public skills such as language, presentation, grooming. We need to really add value to our students so that they can speak confidently in public, for holistic development which will prepare them for the difficult world outside. We need to change the designation Director General, so as to reflect the new-age culture. As the Prime Minister has spoken of changing the colonial mindset, a thoughtful gesture of changing the convocation costume to our traditional costume has been adopted. Now that this institution is 35 years old, it is time to give it a new look and refurbishment, so that the students can study in a more exciting atmosphere. I have also requested NIFT Mumbai to look at the technology levels in all NIFT campuses, to bring in new technology.” He also added that that the institution needs to come up with a more contemporary curriculum and increase the industry internships to a period of six months.

With respect to cost of education, the Minister stated “I have asked the NIFT Governing Council to consider a freeze on fees for some time, so that fees are not increased every year. We also need to expand our scholarships so that the less privileged students also get a chance to study at NIFT and get an opportunity to become really good fashion designers and make a difference to their lives and those of their families. Let the admission process be completely need-blank so that once they are admitted based on merit, we can give scholarships based on their need.”

On further simplifying admission processes, he said. “I am also thinking that we will have a faster and more compressed admission process, cutting the time from application till final admit down by 50%. We could also consider splitting it up into two rounds of admission, as per good practices across the world, so that more children get opportunity to apply. Let the form for applying for scholarships be completely online and simple.”

Expressing desire that the students help revive traditional art, the Minister said, “Let us send our students to handloom and handicraft clusters, let them do some designs and help our artisans onboard their products on to GeM, so that these visits can be made more useful and help the weavers and artisans. I also look at some of the students helping revive traditional arts such as GI arts and heritage-related arts. Some of the students could also become very good event managers, some of you could also become very good resources for museums, archaeological societies, in our restorations going on for UNESCO heritage sites.”

Inspiring the students as they graduate, he concluded by saying, “Graduation is the beginning of a new future, use your creativity so that you can contribute to nation building as much as to your own careers. Be trendsetters, setting completely new ideas into the system. I have the confidence that you and the batches coming after you are going to make NIFT proud, empower our weavers and our textile industry. Stand up, don't become one in a crowd, don't just go the beaten path, fashion cannot just be a career or a job or a limited perspective, fashion truly is a way of life. Each one of you is going to chart out a brilliant career as you chart out a brilliant new life for you, your families and for the nation. You are fortunate to be embarking on this career in the Amrit Kaal, your life will be like Amrit.”

Speaking on the occasion, Rachna Shah, Secretary (Textiles), Ministry of Textiles & Chairperson, BOG-NIFT reminded the students that they had the privilege of studying in one of the best institutes. "You have to bear in mind that there is a very deep and very long textiles tradition for India, I hope that you as ambassadors of this tradition will make it stronger”, she said. “The fashion landscape is constantly evolving; it will be worthwhile to be mindful of that. Sustainability and digitization are two critical elements of fashion and fashion technology. Your generation should build on sustainable fashion which is climate -positive, leveraging the rich tradition of our handlooms and textiles. Some of you will become entrepreneurs and contribute to nation building, you should play an important and critical role in preserving the rich heritage and tradition our country is endowed with. Stay connected to your roots and to this alma mater of yours, and to Indian tradition”, she added.

Find the link to view the entire convocation ceremony here.

NIFT is the first Institute in India to award its degrees in Fashion Education. The Degrees awarded by the Institute are recognized worldwide. The Institute confers Degrees to the graduates in the Convocation Ceremony marking the occasion.

Set up in 1986, NIFT is a pioneering institute of fashion education in the country, and it has been in the vanguard of providing a professional human resource to the textile, apparel, and fashion industry. Established in the year 1995 in ‘Fashion Capital of India’, today NIFT Mumbai is spread over 10 acres of area in Navi Mumbai, has state-of-the-art facilities and world-class infrastructure, highly equipped labs, and machine rooms. The institute has highly trained faculties with strong industry connections. NIFT Mumbai runs two Postgraduate and six Undergraduate Programs. The PG Courses are Master of Design, and Master of Fashion Management. The UG courses are Bachelor of Design in Accessory Design, Fashion Communication, Fashion Design, Knitwear Design, Textile Design, and Bachelor of Fashion Technology in Apparel Production. The graduates of NIFT understand the nuances of fashion business spanning art, craft, technology, and strategy and acquire the skill sets that make them adapt to the growing needs of the industry.  

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