Ahmedabad: The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT Gandhinagar) successfully hosted its much-anticipated Graduation Project Showcase 2026, titled “Aarohanam”, celebrating innovation, creativity, sustainability, and transformative growth across the fields of fashion, design, management, and technology.
The showcase brought together graduating students from various academic disciplines including Master of Design (M.Des), Master of Fashion Management (MFM), Bachelor of Fashion Technology (BFT), Fashion Communication, Textile Design, Accessory Design, and Fashion Design. The event highlighted industry-integrated projects that reflected the convergence of design thinking, technological innovation, strategic management, and cultural relevance.
The prestigious event was inaugurated by distinguished dignitaries including Dr. Sameer Sood, Rahul Jitendra Shah, Rinish Shethani, Dr. P.K. Rajput, and Parth Dinesh Patel.
Addressing the graduating students, Dr. Sameer Sood congratulated the batch of 259 students and emphasised the importance of India’s textile ecosystem, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and the Prime Minister’s “5F Vision” — Farm to Fibre to Fashion to Foreign. He encouraged students to promote Swadeshi, support handlooms and handicrafts, and contribute towards strengthening India’s domestic textile and fashion industry.
Rahul Jitendra Shah highlighted the growing influence of automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence in shaping India’s textile future. He noted that India aims to increase textile exports from USD 40 billion to USD 100 billion by 2030 and encouraged students to embrace AI-driven innovation and sustainability-led growth.
Rinish Shethani inspired students with practical industry insights and introduced the “5P Formula” — Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance — while encouraging graduates to become job creators and ethical leaders.
The event showcased projects developed in collaboration with industry partners, NGOs, startups, and research institutions over a four-month period. These interdisciplinary projects addressed contemporary challenges through innovative, sustainable, and market-oriented solutions.
The Graduation Project Showcase featured several thematic showcases including Vyakt 2026 for M.Des, Bottomline 2026 for MFM, Technova 2026 for BFT, Tantu 2026 for Textile Design, Tatva 2026 for Accessory Design, Communique Beyond 2026 for Fashion Communication, and Impulse 2026 for Fashion Design. Each showcase reflected the students’ creativity, research-driven thinking, technical expertise, and readiness to contribute to the evolving global fashion and lifestyle industry.
The event also created a vibrant platform for networking and collaboration, enabling recruiters, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals to engage with emerging creative talent from across India. Through Aarohanam 2026, NIFT Gandhinagar reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing future-ready professionals equipped with innovation, sustainability, and strategic vision.