NIFT Lateral Entry Admission 2026 (NLEA), Dates, Eligibility, Seats, Fees, Admission Process

What is NIFT lateral entry admission 2026?

NIFT lateral entry admission (NLEA) is the opportunity for the candidates provided by NIFT, who have completed their diploma in relevant fields of design and technology. Candidates will get direct admission to the third semester (second year) of UG programmes at any of the NIFT campuses.

Eligible candidates are required to take the All India entrance examination to get admission into NIFT campuses for lateral entry. NIFT lateral entry entrance examination includes a written examination, studio test/technology aptitude test, and a personal interview. The lateral entry NIFT admission scheme is strictly based on the merit achieved by the candidates.

NIFT lateral entry admission dates

NIFT lateral entry admission eligibility

The eligibility for NIFT admission - lateral entry is that the candidate must be 24 years of age as of August 1 of the year of admission. For Scheduled Castes/Schedule Tribe/Persons with Disabilities (PWD) candidates, the relaxation of 5 years is given for the upper age limit.

The eligibility criteria for BDes and B.FTech have a slight difference. Candidates are required to fulfill the eligibility criteria. Hence, the NIFT NLEA eligibility criteria for each course are as follows.

NIFT lateral entry admission requirements for BDes Course

The requirements for eligibility for the BDes course are as follows.

• The candidate must have passed the 10th/secondary school examination (OR) must have passed the 12th/senior secondary examination recognized by the AIU (AND)

• Must have passed 3 or 4 years of diploma course recognized by the AICTE/AIU/UGC or a state board of technical education in courses related to Fashion / Apparel / Textile and Accessories / Home Science/ Handloom Technology / Products / Visual Communication / Graphic Design / Industrial Design / Interior Design / Multimedia Design / Apparel Technology / Leather/ Fine arts. (OR)

• Candidates must have passed their 12th/senior secondary examination NIFT recognized by AIU. (AND)

• Students who have completed 2 year regular UG Diploma Programme at NIFT after passing Senior Secondary Examination/ 12th standard.

Nift lateral entry admission requirements for B. FTech Course

The eligibility requirements for the B.FTech course are mentioned below.

• The candidate must have passed the 10th/secondary school examination (AND)

• Must have passed 3 or 4 years diploma recognized by AICTE/ AIU/UGC or a State Board of Technical Education in courses related to Fashion/Apparel/Textile/ Home Science/Handloom Technology (OR)

• Must have passed the senior secondary examination/12th recognized by the AIU with Mathematics. (AND)

• Must have completed 2 years UG Diploma Programme at NIFT after passing Senior Secondary Examination/ 12th Standard.

General eligibility for lateral entry admission to NIFT/Who should apply?

• Candidates having mathematics background with a Diploma/ Degree in engineering may apply for Bachelor of Fashion Technology (B.F.Tech) programme as well as the Bachelor of Design (BDes) Programme.

• Candidates having aptitude for creativity/innovation/ fashion design may apply for Bachelor of Design programme.

• Candidates who fulfil the age of 24 years as on August 1st of the year of Admission. The upper age limit may be relaxed by a period of 5 (five) years for the candidates of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribe/Persons With Disabilities (PWD).

NIFT lateral entry admission process

The admission process for NIFT lateral entry includes the written examination online (GAT), a studio test (B.Des) or technical ability test (B.FTech), and a personal interview based on clearance of the first two rounds. The candidates must register themselves online and pay the registration fee as per the schedule. Candidates are required to go through the official website - nift.ac.in for regular updates and the NLEA admission process.

How to apply for lateral entry admission

NIFT lateral entry admission provides an opportunity to candidates directly to the 3rd semester who meet the eligibility criteria and are through in the exams conducted by the National Institute of Fashion Technology.

Candidates have to apply online to get admission for NIFT lateral entry. Here are the steps to apply for lateral entry admission into NIFT.

1. Log on to the official website - nift.ac.in

2. Check your eligibility criteria.

3. Click on the registration link

4. Enter your name, email ID, and date of birth

5. Update the details of the DD/cheque paid for the registration fee

6. Complete filling the NIFT application form

7. Upload your scanned photo and signature

8. Once you are done filling in all details, click submit.

Any further communication will be sent to your registered email ID. Candidates are required to use their registered email ID and password for future communication.

Admit card for lateral entry admission - NIFT

NIFT NTA will conduct the admission test for lateral entry. The candidates have to log in to the official website - nift.ac.in to download the NIFT lateral entry admission admit card. Registered candidates can download the NLEA NIFT admit cards from the official website - exams.nta.ac.in/NIFT. To download the admit card, the applicants had to use their login credentials such as the application number and date of birth.

Note: The admit cards for the lateral entry examination of NIFT will not be sent by post.

NIFT NLEA Test Weightage

Candidates had to appear for GAT test for NIFT NLEA admission. The NIFT NLEA weightage for BDes and BFTech is as follows.

Results for lateral entry admission NIFT

The NIFT results of the entrance examination will be published online on its official website - nift.ac.in. The NIFT NLEA merit list is prepared based on the marks obtained by the candidates in Entrance Exam, Studio Test/Technical Aptitude Test & Personal Interview. Hence, the candidates are advised to check the website regularly for updated information. No communication will be sent through post.

NIFT lateral entry admission seat allotment

Seat allotment for the lateral entry admission into NIFT is based on the candidate's performance in the entrance examination. Seats are allocated based on the merit of the candidate. Also, the seat allotment for NIFT lateral entry admission depends on the vacant seats course-wise, category-wise, and campus-wise. Candidates have to clear the NIFT cut off for latera entry to obtain admission. The allotted candidates should download their provisional allotment letters using their login credentials in the admission portal and pay the fees before the prescribed deadline.

NIFT lateral entry seat matrix 2026

The seat availability for NIFT lateral entry 2026 according to category is listed below.

NIFT NLEA fee structure 2026

The fee structure per semester for NIFT lateral entry selected candidates is as follows.

Note: NIFT reserves the right to revise the above-mentioned fees for any academic year.