National Institute of Fashion Technology Review By Soutrik Dey

National Institute for Fashion Technology provides quality education and training for all students aspiring to work in the fashion industry. The institution was established in 1986 and colleges were established in different cities in India. The Kolkata campus educates students in the field of fashion technology and design in the Eastern part of India. Kolkata was one of the first 5 centers of NIFT. The college is affiliated with the state university and operates under the guidelines provided by the state. The college offers undergraduate degrees in fashion designing and fashion technology. Postgraduate degrees offered at Masters of Fashion Designing, Master of Fashion Management, and Master of Fashion Technology. The Number of seats available for each course is different for the different centers of NIFT.

The admission procedure is simple. The mark sheet of higher secondary education needs to be uploaded along with other documents like age proof. A merit list is published. All admission is strictly on the basis of merit. The students are usually required to go to the main campus in Delhi for counseling. The centers are chosen by the student on a first-come, first-serve basis. The higher your rank, the more likely you are to be able to enroll in your preferred NIFT center.

I joined the undergraduate course in Fashion Technology. Being from a science background, it became easy for me to crack the admission test. I did not have to take any tuition for that, though tuitions are available. This course in NIFT attracted me because it was different. I have always been more inclined towards subjects that require practical skills and knowledge. This course allowed me to use my creativity to come up with different practical ideas required in the world of fashion. The college offers several types of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Undergraduate programs cover 4 years and different courses are taught. Under the designing programs courses like fashion, leather, accessory, textile, and knitwear designing are taught. The college also offers a degree in fashion communication.

To apply in these courses students need to have a secondary and higher secondary degree from any one of the recognized Board of Education. Students can also apply for the Bachelor of Technology course that offers a B.F. Tech degree in apparel production. Students from science backgrounds can apply for this course. Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics are the main subjects a student should study in higher secondary to be eligible for enrolling in this course. Master of Design, Master of Fashion Management, and Master of Fashion technology are some of the Postgraduate courses offered by the college. To apply for these courses, students need to have an undergraduate degree in design or architecture, diploma in accessory, and B.Tech or B.E degree respectively.

The faculty members in the Technology department are not only helpful but also very kind. They love guiding students and are extremely polite. In my department, there are about eight to ten professors. They take undergraduate as well as post-graduate classes. All the course in NIFT will get you great placement in the famous garment industries. The college has over 40 professors in total across all departments. All the faculty members in the college have years of experience. Most of them have worked for different textile companies and can teach students with the first-hand experience that they have gained over the years.

Most of the professors have been teaching in the college for over 20 years. They have spent years on research and therefore are excellent at explaining theory as well as practical lessons. During semester examination, several jury members are invited to judge the students. These jury members can be ex-students, professors from other universities, or established and famous personalities from the industry. The professors are highly qualified and they possess postgraduate and doctorate degrees. They have an in-depth knowledge of the subjects they teach. The professors guide their students through practical classes and answer all the questions regarding it. Several professors have also worked with well-known celebrities in the industry.

NIFT is one of those rare colleges that offer excellent placement options. Almost 90 to 95 percent of the students have received job offers from famous textiles companies both in India as well as abroad. Students usually have to do an internship before they graduate. The best part is 70 percent of the students get job offers during this internship, even before their graduation has been complete. I started working for a textile company in Kolkata even before I received my degree. Therefore, if you are looking for a college that places its students well, NIFT is the place for you.

The placement and training cell offers excellent guidance to help students prepare for their future. Several companies visit the college during campusing and take a look at all the students. This is a great opportunity for students to understand which type of companies they would have to deal with. Companies like Must Garment and foreign companies like Classic Garment Company also visited our college in 2014. In my batch, 95 % of students received placement from well-known companies. The average package received by our batch in 2014 was Rs. 3,00,000 LPA. Every student received no less than a package of Rs. 2,40,000 LPA during the placements.

Every NIFT college campus has an adjoining hostel facility. However, the biggest con is, for most campuses, the hostel facility is only available for girls. NIFT Kolkata only has a girls' hostel. There are 81 rooms in Kolkata with a total capacity of 215 students. As there is only a girls' hostel, all the rooms are in one building. It is not too far from the college and students can walk to the college if required. Therefore, staying in the hostel would automatically mean that students would have higher attendance.

The annual fees for the girl's hostel in NIFT were 31,900 INR in 2014. The hostel prepares good quality food for all students. Both vegetarian, as well as non-vegetarian options are available. There are domestic helpers as well as hostel staff who are always ready to help the students who stay there. However, the staff members are strict and they do not excuse any misdemeanor. Therefore, it would be advisable to follow the rules and regulations of the hostel. Therefore, it is best to stay in the hostel if you are not from Kolkata. The hostel for girls has a good security system and is completely safe.

NIFT Kolkata has an excellent infrastructure equipped with the latest tools and gadgets. The building is designed to accommodate practical labs and seminar halls. Every year, more than 900 students take admission to this college. Therefore, there are several classrooms, lecture halls, seminar rooms, and practical labs available where professors can take classes. A video conferencing seminar room is present. Photo-labs and studios can also be found on the campus. The college also has its very own air-conditioned auditorium where annual fashion shows are hosted by the students. Different types of laboratories such as designing, textile testing, and weaving laboratories are present.

The students within the campus have access to NIFT's Wi-Fi and the campus is always under CCTV surveillance to maintain the safety and security of students. For recreation, several sports amenities are also present. A badminton court, a basketball court, and a volleyball ground are also present. Students can also access the gymnasium built within the campus. Other than that, a table tennis setup is also present. A canteen is also available. Students can approach the office at any time during college for medical help. A first-aid kit is always available in the office. Students can use these amenities anytime they want.

NIFT enriches college life in different ways. Not only does the environment within the campus encourage innovative learning but also urges the student to focus on extracurricular activities. Spectrum is the college fest in NIFT where several young minds come together to put up different entertaining events. The Converge is another event arranged by the students of NIFT. This is the annual cultural and sports meet where students from different centers of NIFT come together and compete for their college. There are different sports as well as cultural events where the students compete against each other.

The students of the designing department, host the Annual Graduation Show, where the students portray their innovative ideas on stage. Several celebrities and renowned designers are invited to judge the show. The students are allowed to meet these famous and successful guests to gain exposure and experience in the industry. NIFT tries to help students in different ways. The college trains its students to conquer the challenges of the fashion industry. It prepares students to earn a decent living not only in India but in several foreign countries like France, Jordan, and Vietnam. The professors love to keep in touch with ex-students and are always willing to help them. NIFT will give you many enjoyable memories with your friends and professors.