It is time to celebrate four decades of existence of a unique institute offering a gamut of fashion programmes in design, management and technology. The National Institute of Fashion Technology, born in 1986 with the promise of shaping India’s fashion consciousness, arrives at this moment with an expansive legacy and an even more ambitious future. What began as a pioneering experiment in fashion education is today a national network of campuses, an archive of craft knowledge, a research ecosystem, a training ground for industry leaders, and a cultural force that has shaped how India makes, thinks, and speaks fashion.
This year, as NIFT marks its fortieth anniversary, the celebrations have been as layered and diverse as the institution itself. These commemorative activities are not isolated events but pieces of a larger narrative that pays homage to the past while preparing the ground for the next leap. And at the heart of these celebrations lies the upcoming international conference on “Designing Inclusive Futures”, scheduled for 22–23 January 2026 in Mumbai, an academic and creative confluence that promises to define NIFT’s direction for the decades ahead.
A Year of Conversations, Creativity, and Collective Memory
The NIFT@40 journey began with a striking presence at Bharat Tex 2025, where a specially curated exhibition traced the institution’s evolution: its pedagogical shifts, its collaborations, and its impact on Indian textiles and crafts. Visitors were drawn to the “NIFT Palette”, a thoughtfully designed showcase that allowed global audiences to view India’s fashion language through the eyes of its young creators.
Across campuses, the anniversary year unfolded like a festival of ideas. Student-led activities like logo design competitions, poster and photography contests, creative recycling assignments, and sustainable packaging challenges filled studios and corridors with an energy reminiscent of NIFT’s earliest days. These exercises were far more than celebrations; they were provocations, asking students to reimagine identity, space, and sustainability. A selection of classroom visual-merchandising projects is even being planned for implementation, ensuring that the celebrations leave tangible imprints on the physical campuses.
Alumni engagement has been equally significant. Distinguished graduates from the earliest batches have been returning to their alma mater as guests of honour at convocations. Their presence, seasoned by decades in the industry, has added depth to the celebrations. Masterclasses by prominent alumni and industry leaders have allowed the current generation of students to see possibilities that extend far beyond the classroom.
The event Chhaap, held in Hyderabad, offered a powerful glimpse into NIFT’s longstanding commitment to cluster development. It highlighted the institute’s partnership with craft communities, showing how design interventions have enabled artisans to sustain traditional practices while adapting to contemporary markets. This continuing bond between NIFT and India’s textile clusters forms the moral centrepiece of the anniversary celebrations.
Designing Inclusive Futures
All these activities are building up to what will be the most defining moment of the anniversary year, the International Conference on “Designing Inclusive Futures.” Far from being a conventional academic gathering, the conference is envisioned as a vibrant meeting ground for designers, researchers, technologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and policymakers who are rethinking the future of design.
The themes of the conference—Equity, Accessibility, Ethics, and Usability, have been chosen with intent. They reflect the realities of a world where design increasingly shapes not just objects, but systems; not just experiences, but behaviours; not just aesthetics, but livelihoods. With 338 abstracts received and 64 full papers accepted after rigorous review, the conversations promise to be rich, urgent, and globally relevant.
The conference will open with keynote addresses by thought leaders whose work spans continents and industries. Dr. Naresh Tyagi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Aditya Birla. Ms. JetteLadiges, CEO of El Puente GmbH and board member of the World Fair Trade Organization, will speak about ethical production frameworks in an era demanding greater accountability. Mr. Jalaj Hora, whose work in innovation and regenerative design spans companies like Nike and Burberry, will offer a perspective on circularity and future-ready product ecosystems. And Mr. Arman Ali, a leading advocate for disability rights in India, will anchor the conversation on accessibility with the clarity of lived experience and policy understanding. This breadth of voices reflects NIFT’s aspiration: to move beyond disciplinary silos and view design as a field woven into the social, technological, and economic structures of everyday life.
Invited papers from FIT New York, Manchester Metropolitan University, Saxion University, Swiss Textile College, Whitecliffe College, and the National Institute of Design will introduce perspectives ranging from digital fashion activism and adaptive apparel to regenerative pedagogy and artisan representation in luxury fashion marketing. These presentations will ensure that the conference becomes not just a platform for sharing research but a crucible for rethinking values, methods, and design obligations.
Over two days, the conference will host parallel academic tracks, workshops, and panel discussions. One of the anticipated highlights is the panel titled “Designing for Financial Democracy,” which will examine how accessible design can reshape fintech and empower underserved communities.
The conference experience has been designed to extend beyond formal sessions. Recognising that design thrives in lived spaces, participants will have the opportunity to engage with Mumbai through a curated textile heritage walk in Kalbadevi, immersing them in the city’s historic trading ecosystem.
An accompanying Craft Bazaar will showcase master artisans from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana, bringing Paithani, Bhujodi, Tangaliya, Maheshwari textiles, ikat traditions, and Kolhapuri craft to the conference venue. These exhibitions serve as reminders that India’s craft traditions are not relics to be admired but systems of livelihood that demand continued empathy and innovation.
The fashion show promises to offer a refreshing interpretation of inclusion, with adaptive garments, gender-neutral silhouettes, diverse body representation, and circular design strategies. Further, the UAL–NIFT “New Landscapes” exhibition, supported by the British Council, will display collaborative research in the domain of sustainable fashion, textiles and technology.
Coinciding with the conference is Samvaad, the national-level alumni and industry meet. Scheduled on NIFT’s Foundation Day, it is expected to bring together around 300 alumni and industry professionals. The gathering will serve as both a reunion and a forward-looking forum, linking generations of designers in a shared conversation about the future of the field.
Towards the Next Forty Years
As NIFT looks ahead, the international conference on Designing Inclusive Futures stands as more than an anniversary event. It is a declaration of intent. It signals the institute’s readiness to engage with the urgencies of our times: sustainability, diversity, technological disruption, and ethical responsibility with clarity and courage.
Forty years ago, NIFT was founded with a simple but transformative idea: that India deserved a fashion institution rooted in its own cultural identity yet open to the world. Today, as the conference approaches, that founding vision acquires a renewed relevance. The coming together of global experts, local artisans, young researchers, industry leaders, and alumni is set to create a collective energy that will shape the institute’s trajectory for the next four decades.
As the conference draws nearer, the excitement is palpable. The conference is not just an event; it is a threshold. And as NIFT steps onto it, one thing is clear: the future of design is inclusive, interdisciplinary, and deeply human.
Tanu Kashyap, IAS, is Director General-NIFT