Is NIFT, the premier fashion institute losing its sheen?

The appointment of a former cricketer as chairman of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has set the media abuzz. The appointment has not been a well-known cricketer but that of a lesser known industrialist, bureaucrat or anyone else, the outrage would have been muted. However, what everyone is missing is the fact that NIFT as an educational hub has hit a plateau with various challenges that need to be highlighted.

Past days of glory saw the best from institute

NIFT was set up in 1986 to mainly support the garment export industry by training professionals in fashion design, manufacture and marketing. The first board was chaired by well-known Indian cultural and textile activist Pupul Jayakar. In initial days, the faculty was trained at the premier Fashion Institute of Technology New York. Then there were excellent resource centre, international collaborations and students were selected on basis of merit and creative potential. A single campus and a cohesive team approach between faculty and director were the strengths of the institute. All this was possible because there was little interference from the government. Top names in the fashion industry such as Rina Dhaka, Rohit Bal, Ritu Beri, JJ Valaya to name a few, are all alumni of the institute.

Politics played a decisive factor

Even though the institute has 15 campuses across the country, most of them set up in non-fashion hubs like Bhopal and Kannur are seen as political choices. Expansion has led to campuses which have insufficient facilities and limited training faculty. Also, a slew of bureaucrats and non-academicians who have occupied top post at the institute have led to too much bureaucratic interference. However, it cannot be denied that the institute is on a decline and among the various reasons behind it, is one important one – the dynamic growth of the fashion industry in the last few years. That apart, competition from other institutes has also made a dent in NIFT’s growth.

A premier institute, NIFT faces various challenges. Primary among them are lack of trained and good faculty. Also, the pay scales are much lower compared to professors under the UGC. Moreover, NIFT faculty do not get pension, a medical allowance or housing.

In the last few years, the Indian fashion industry has grown hugely. As per statistics compiled by fashionunited.in, the domestic market size of the clothing and footwear industry is 68 billion dollar while textile industry is 108 billion dollar. As per the India Brand Equity Foundation, textile and apparel exports from India are estimated to increase to 65 billion dollar by the end of this financial year.

Today, NIFT stands at a crossroads where it must look back to its glorious past in order to move ahead. As Sunil Sethi, president of Fashion Design Council of India, believes that NIFT’s achievements have not been bragged about enough.