Union Minister of State for Textile and Railways Darshana Vikram Jardosh on Tuesday said Srinagar was all set to house the National Institute of Fashion Technology’s (NIFT) largest campus of the country.
The Srinagar campus, which is 17th of the institute in the country, will be spread over 133 kanals (16.6 acres) in Budgam’s Ompora area and will come up at the cost of ₹287 crore, with 35% reservation for students from Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
“The campus should be ready by the end of this year. J&K is a priority region for the Textile Ministry. We appeal to the youth to join us in making India prosperous and becoming the real ambassadors of Make in India,” Ms. Jardosh said, while chairing NIFT’s second convocation at Srinagar's Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre.
She felicitated around 28 graduating students on the occasion. “I also thank the parents [from outside the Union Territory] for opting for the Srinagar campus of NIFT,” she said.
Scores of parents of NIFT students from different parts of the country were present on the occasion.
The Union Minister said a Design Resource Centre (DRC) will also be set up at NIFT Srinagar “to create design-oriented excellence in the local handloom sector” and “and will play a pivotal role in the promotion of the local craft industry”.
“All stakeholders of the handloom sector shall have access to the design repository from this DRC. We will also offer evening diploma courses for artisans,” she added.
Speaking on the occasion, Javid Ahmad, Director, NIFT, said the campus in Srinagar is an emerging campus offering both undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
“We have tied up with around 20 fashion institutions overseas for broader exposure of students. Around 76% of students are already placed in the job market in spite of the pandemic-inflicted slump. We have already started success stories across the country. We have been able to work with local institutions for craft documentation, design packaging and marketing,” Dr. Ahmad said.
Shantmanu, Director General, NIFT, said the Centre aims to pitch India as the fashion capital of the world in the coming years. “NIFT Srinagar will have to play a pivotal role in that. We are planning different tie-ups to see these students as the best in the industry,” he added.
