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    NIFT Reservation Criteria 2026: Check Category-wise Seats

    NIFT Reservation Criteria 2026: Check Category-wise Seats

    Sumeet SudarshanUpdated on 23 Jan 2026, 03:48 PM 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: 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.

    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.

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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,

    I am providing you the link below through which you will be able to download the NIFT Question papers with solutions PDF

    Here is the link :-

    https://design.careers360.com/articles/nift-question-paper

    In the above link , you will get the direct links to download the year vise question papers with solutions ,

    Hello,

    Yes, a diploma holder in Computer Engineering can apply for the NIFT entrance exam , but only through the lateral entry route.

    NIFT allows candidates with a 3-year or 4-year engineering diploma from a recognized board to apply for B.F.Tech (Fashion Technology) through lateral entry. The diploma must be

    Hello aspirant,

    The National Testing Agency (NTA) has determined the official date for NIFT 2026 applicant registrations, which is expected to open in November 2025. Online applications will be accepted through January 2026.

    For complete information, you can visit our site through following link:

    https://design.careers360.com/exams/nift-entrance-exam

    Thank you