National Institute of Design, Srinagar

NID Srinagar is a campus of the National Institute of Design established in Srinagar, the capital of the Kashmir Valley in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is among the most distinctive NID campuses in terms of craft context, surrounded by one of the world's most concentrated and globally recognised luxury craft ecosystems.

Kashmir's craft heritage is extraordinary in both depth and global reach. Pashmina weaving, which uses the underfleece of Changthangi goats from the high-altitude plateaus of Ladakh and Kashmir, produces fabric renowned worldwide for its warmth and softness. The Kani shawl, woven on a traditional loom using a complex tapestry technique with multiple small wooden spools (kanis), can take years to produce a single piece and represents one of the highest expressions of textile craft in the world. Kashmiri embroidery traditions include Sozni (a delicate needle embroidery that requires extraordinary skill) and Tilla work (metallic thread embroidery on velvet). The Papier-mache tradition (known as Khatamband in architectural form) creates lacquered objects from compressed paper with intricate painted decoration. Walnut wood carving from Kashmir produces furniture and objects with deeply carved floral and arabesque patterns that reflect centuries of Persian-influenced aesthetic tradition.

NID Srinagar textile and product design students can research, document, and work alongside artisan communities practising these traditions. This direct access to living craft knowledge is genuinely rare in design education globally, not just in India. The campus connects to NID's national network for placement and industry exposure, while the Srinagar location provides a context for design practice that no other campus can replicate.