NIFT Reservation Criteria 2026: Check Category-wise Seats

NIFT Reservation Criteria 2026: Check Category-wise Seats

Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 06 Sep 2025, 11:26 AM IST

National Institute of Fashion Technology will release the NIFT 2026 reservation criteria on the official website - nift.ac.in. Candidates appearing for NIFT 2026 must go through the NIFT reservation criteria to estimate their admission chances. As per the reservation criteria of NIFT 2026, seats are reserved for candidates from the categories of SC/ST/OBC/GEN and PWD. The reservation criteria is an important influencing factor in determining candidates' success in the NIFT entrance exam as the NIFT cut-off vary for different categories. In this article, get all details about the NIFT 2026 reservation criteria for all courses.

This Story also Contains

  1. Reservation Criteria for NIFT 2026
  2. NIFT Reservation: Overview
  3. NIFT 2026 Seat Reservation
  4. NIFT 2026 reservation criteria for Foreign national/NRI
  5. NIFT 2026 reservation criteria for Domicile category
  6. NIFT 2026 Seat Matrix
NIFT Reservation Criteria 2026: Check Category-wise Seats
NIFT Reservation Criteria

Candidates will be admitted into B.Des, M.Des, B.FTech, M.FTech, and MFM programmes of participating NIFT campuses following the counselling process conducted as per the NIFT reservation criteria 2026.

Reservation Criteria for NIFT 2026

The NIFT provides reservations for the candidates for seat allotment. NIFT reservation criteria 2026 is the seat reservation for candidates of different categories and the ratio of seats allocated for each category. Each campus has been allotted the NIFT reservation criteria 2026 for different courses. The details of the complete reservation policy are covered in this article for your guidance. Candidates have to mention their category in the NIFT application form, which cannot be changed later on.

NIFT Reservation: Overview

The seats reserved for the candidates of SC/ST/OBC (Non-creamy layer)/GEN-EWS, Persons with disability (PWD), state domicile, and foreign nationals are as below. The reservation policy was out with the admission notification. Candidates can check the NIFT reservation policy provided below.

NIFT 2026 Seat Reservation

Category

Percentage of seats allotted

SC

15%

ST

7.5%

OBC (Non-creamy layer)

27%

GEN-EWS

10%

PWD

5% (Horizontal reservation for a person with a disability of 40% or more)

PWD seats, if available after the counselling process, will be converted to an open category. The candidates will be allotted the programs as per the decision of the NIFT Evaluation Committee. Candidates should have the relevat category certificate at the time NIFT admission to support their reservation claim. The category mentioned at the time of submission of the NIFT application form by the candidate is final.

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Important points to be noted for the NIFT 2026 reservation criteria

Some of the important points for the candidates given for NIFT reservation criteria 2026 are as follows.

  • Candidates have to mention in NIFT reservation category in the application form

  • The category updated by the candidate in the NIFT application form will be final. No changes will be allowed after that.

  • Candidates have to submit the category certificate along with the documents at the time of admission.

  • If the category certificate is not provided, then the candidate will be considered as an open category.

  • For SC/ST candidates, the category certificate should be in their name and the language must be either Hindi or English in the certificate.

  • For OBC (non-creamy layer) candidates, the name on the certificate should be of the candidate and have not been issued before April 1, 2025.

  • The candidates of Open (EWS-economically weaker Section) have a reservation of 10% and are reserved under the open category.

  • The PWD candidates must have the disability certificate and the unique disability ID which is issued by the Department of Empowerment of persons with disability.

  • The person with a disability has to appear before the NIFT evaluation committee.

  • The unfilled reservation PWD seats will be converted to the related category to fill the seats.

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NIFT 2026 reservation criteria for Foreign national/NRI

The candidates who are NRI’s are not required to appear for the NIFT entrance examination. The selection process of these candidates will be based on the GMAT/SAT/GRE scores. The NIFT 2026 reservation for NRI’s is as follows.

  • At NIFT campuses of Chennai, Bengaluru, Gandhinagar, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, New Delhi, and Raebareli, 5 seats each per the academic program.

  • At the Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Jodhpur, Daman, Kangra, Patna, Panchkula, Kannur, Shillong, and Varanasi campuses of NIFT, it is 3 seats per the academic program.

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NIFT 2026 reservation criteria for Domicile category

The candidates who have completed their 12th class examination in a particular state belong to the domicile category. Candidates have to obtain a certificate from that school. The domicile category reservation criteria will be available to the candidates who belong to the state where the NIFT campuses are located. Candidates can visit the official website - nift.ac.in for further information.

NIFT 2026 Seat Matrix

Candidates can check details on total seats in NIFT below.

For the BDes program:

Programs

Grand Total

Fashion Design (FD)

719

Leather Design (LD)

152

Accessory Design (AD)

596

Textile Design (TD)

681

Knitwear Design (KD)

310

Fashion Communication (FC)

719

For B.F.Tech program:

Programs

Grand Total

Apparel Production (AP)

591

For Masters program:

Programs

Grand Total

MDes

275

M.F.M

719

M.F.Tech

34

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What is the NIFT 2026 reservation criteria?
A:

The reservation criteria in percentage allocated for each category is as below.

SC-15%, ST-7.5%, OBC (non-creamy layer)-27%, Gen (EWS)-10% and person with disability (PWD)-5%.

Q: Can a reserved candidate apply in an open category?
A:

The reserved category candidates have to mention the category in the NIFT 2026 application form. If the candidate is unable to provide the category certificate, then they are considered in an open category.

Q: What is the NRI reservation criteria for NIFT 2026 admissions?
A:

For NRI’s the reservation criteria for NIFT 2026 admission is as below. 

  • 5 seats each per the academic program at NIFT campuses of Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gandhi nagar, Raebareli and New Delhi.

  • 3 seats per the academic program at the Jodhpur, Bhopal, Daman,  Bhubaneshwar, Kangra, Panchkula, Patna, Kannur, Varanasi, and Shillong campuses of NIFT.

Q: How does the reservation category at NIFT work for the domicile candidates?
A:

The reservation for domicile candidates at NIFT is allocated to the persons who belong to the state where the NIFT campuses are located based on their 12th class certificates.

Q: Which category is reserved in NIFT?
A:

The categories reserved in NIFT are the SC, ST, OBC (Non-creamy), PWD and Gen (EWS) for each program.

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Questions related to NIFT Entrance Exam

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to NIFT Entrance Exam ?

Hello Neharika

These are the topics which are most important in the Current affairs section in respect to NIFT Entrance Exam:

1. National and International Awards and Honors
2. Government Schemes and Initiatives
3. Sports
4. Appointments and Newsmakers
5. Science and Technology
6. Indian and World Economy
7. International Relations
8. Fashion Industry Updates
9. Books and Authors
10. Art and Culture
11. Environmental and Social Issues

To know more about NIFT Entrance Exam: NIFT Entrance Exam by CAREERS360

Hope this answer helps! Thank You!!!


Hello,

According to the sources, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) entrance exam for 2026 will be held in February 2026. Also, the registration period may open from November 2025.

I hope it will clear your query!!

Hello,
It’s completely understandable to feel disheartened after not getting a seat in the first and second rounds, especially when you’ve filled all the colleges and have your hopes set on a particular course like Fashion Communication . With an OBC rank of 1910 and CMR 7192, your chances can improve in the upcoming counselling rounds as more students withdraw or shift to other colleges.
So make sure to check the further rounds of counselling and don’t lose hope. Many students get seats in the 3rd, 4th, and mop-up rounds. You can also consider updating your preference list or keeping a wider range of courses and campuses open in case you're okay with related fields.
Keep checking the official NIFT website for updates on seat allotment and further counselling instructions.
Thank you

Dear Candidate ,
Yes , you are eligible for NIFT - UG 2026 . Based on your birthdate , you will be 19 years old as of August 1 , 2026 , which is well within the age limit .
NIFT requires applicants to be under 24 years of age on August 1 of the admission year , with a 5 year relaxation for SC/ST/PwD candidates .

Hello

The syllabus of NIFT 2026 will be released on October 2025 by Nift officials on their official website nift.ac.in . The syllabus comprises of topics General Ability Test (GAT) and Creative Ability Test (CAT). The syllabus is different for UG and PG programmes. The GAT syllabus consists of :

  • Communication ability and English comprehension
  • Quantitative ability
  • Analytical and Reasoning
  • Case study
  • General knowledge and current affairs

The CAT syllabus consists important topics like

  • Creative ability
  • Observation power
  • Discernment ability
  • Design ability
  • Colour combination ability

To download the complete syllabus kindly refer this

https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-syllabus

Good luck !