NIFT Raebareli

About NIFT Raebareli

NIFT Raebareli was established in 2008 and is located in Uttar Pradesh, approximately 80 km from Lucknow. The campus sits in the heart of a region with one of India's most celebrated embroidery traditions: chikankari, the delicate hand-embroidery of Lucknow, which has been practised for over 400 years and was historically patronised by the Nawabs of Awadh. This proximity gives the campus a distinctive advantage for Textile Design and Fashion Design students interested in embroidery, surface ornamentation, and the intersection of heritage craft with contemporary fashion.

Chikankari embroidery uses a vocabulary of 32 stitches worked on fine muslin, cotton, and silk to produce airy, shadow-work patterns originally made for the Nawabi court. Today, Lucknow's chikankari cluster employs hundreds of thousands of artisans, predominantly women, and the fabric is worn across India and internationally. The craft has been successfully adapted into contemporary fashion by designers ranging from Sabyasachi to international buyers who source from Lucknow's wholesale market. NIFT Raebareli students are within practical reach of these ateliers for research, project collaboration, and internships. The region is also known for khadi production, which connects to the growing sustainable and handspun fashion movement.

NIFT Raebareli offers 3 B.Des programmes: Fashion Design, Textile Design, and Fashion Communication. The B.Des intake is 90 seats per year. As a smaller campus, it provides a more intimate learning environment with closer student-faculty interaction. The campus is one of the most affordable NIFT options for students from central and eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar who want government design education without travelling to Delhi.

The 4-year B.Des fee ranges from Rs 8 to 10 lakhs. Raebareli's cost of living is very low, making the total education cost including accommodation significantly below that of metro-based campuses. Admission follows the NIFT entrance exam via NTA: GAT, CAT, and Situation Test. Applications open in November at exams.nta.nic.in/niftee.

NIFT Raebareli graduates work in chikankari-focused design labels, sustainable and handloom fashion companies, and the fashion retail market across northern India. Several alumni have built practices that directly engage chikankari artisans, positioning traditional Awadhi embroidery for contemporary markets. Internship placements with chikankari manufacturers and export houses are an established pathway.

For students interested in embroidery-rooted fashion, Lucknow's chikankari traditions, sustainable handloom practice, or simply in accessing quality NIFT education at the lowest possible total cost, NIFT Raebareli is a genuinely valuable option. The proximity to one of India's most important living craft traditions is a resource that students can build a design practice on from day one.