Summary
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has announced significant revisions to its admission guidelines for the 2026 academic session.
Applicants are advised to carefully review the revised admission guidelines before submitting their applications to ensure compliance with the updated eligibility norms.
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has announced significant revisions to its admission guidelines for the 2026 academic session, introducing key changes for PhD aspirants and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) candidates. The updated norms aim to enhance research opportunities and bring clarity to eligibility criteria in line with recent legal directions.
Increase in NIFT Teaching Fellow PhD Seats
Under the revised guidelines, NIFT has expanded the number of seats for the NIFT Teaching Fellow (NTF) PhD programme to 20, up from the earlier allocation of five seats. This move is intended to strengthen academic research and teaching capacity across NIFT campuses.
Among these 20 seats, five candidates from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Scheduled Caste (SC), and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories who meet the NTF eligibility requirements will be granted a 100 per cent tuition fee waiver. The remaining 15 selected candidates will be eligible for a 50 per cent tuition fee concession after successfully clearing the NTF PhD admission process.
Age Criteria for PhD Applicants
The revised policy also introduces clarity on age limits. Candidates applying under the NTF category must be below 30 years of age. However, no upper age limit has been prescribed for candidates seeking admission to other full-time or part-time PhD programmes at NIFT.
Revised OCI Eligibility
NIFT has also updated its OCI eligibility criteria for admissions in 2026, following a Supreme Court order on the matter. As per the revised guidelines, candidates holding an OCI card may apply either under the open (general) category or under the NRI/Foreign National category, subject to the submission of valid SAT, GMAT, or GRE scores, wherever applicable.
However, candidates whose OCI cards were issued on or after March 4, 2021 will be governed by the Ministry of Home Affairs notification dated March 4, 2021. Such applicants will be eligible to apply only under the NRI and Foreign National category, provided they submit the prescribed entrance test scores.
NIFT has clarified that all admissions will be strictly subject to verification of original documents. These include the OCI card issuance date, nationality status, academic qualifications, age proof, and other eligibility conditions as mentioned in the official prospectus.
Eligible candidates can apply for the NIFT 2026 entrance examination without a late fee until January 15 through the official website at exams.nta.nic.in/niftee. For the 2026 cycle, NIFT has added two new examination centres—Vapi in Gujarat and Daman in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. With these additions, the total number of NIFT exam cities has increased to 102.
Applicants are advised to carefully review the revised admission guidelines before submitting their applications to ensure compliance with the updated eligibility norms.
Last updated on 16 Jan 2026
