NIFT Mumbai Unveils Student Innovation and Fashion Collections at Genesis 2026
Event highlights AI-focused textile seminar, student showcases and graduation fashion show with participation from industry and academic leaders
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Mumbai organized its Graduation Showcase “Genesis 2026” on 22nd May 2026, bringing together over 413 graduating students from 06 undergraduate and 02 postgraduate departments. The event focused on student projects, industry collaborations, academic achievements, and discussions on the future of the textile and fashion industry.
The event was inaugurated by Smt. Vrunda Manohar Desai (IRS), Textile Commissioner, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, who attended as the Chief Guest. The programme began with the ceremonial inauguration, lighting of the lamp, and a welcome address by Prof. Dr. Ajit Kumar Khare, Director, NIFT Mumbai, who spoke about the institute’s focus on entrepreneurial, innovative, and technology-oriented education aligned with evolving consumer trends.
Seminar discusses AI and future of Indian textile industry
Addressing the gathering at the Graduation Showcase seminar on “Future of Indian Textile Industry in the Era of AI”, the Chief Guest Smt. Vrunda Manohar Desai inspired graduating students to become future leaders of India’s textile. The Chief Guest appreciated NIFT’s industry-oriented learning approach and praised students for their collaborative industry projects and innovative problem-solving abilities. Emphasizing that Artificial Intelligence should be used as a tool rather than a replacement for human creativity, the address highlighted the importance of preserving India’s rich textile heritage while building globally recognized Indian brands. The Chief Guest also spoke about the strength of India’s textile sector, government initiatives such as PLI schemes and the National Fibre Scheme, and the growing importance of sustainability, technical textiles, and circularity in shaping a globally competitive and environmentally responsible future for the industry.
A key segment of the event was the seminar on “Future of the Indian Textile Industry in the Era of AI”, organized in association with Suvin Expo LLP, the knowledge partner for the seminar. The session brought together industry representatives, academicians, and technology experts to discuss the role of Artificial Intelligence in the textile and fashion sector.
The seminar was moderated by Mr. Avinash Mayekar, Managing Director, Suvin Expo LLP. Panellists included Mr. Kapil Pathare, Deputy Managing Director, VIP Clothing Ltd., Dr. G. V. Aras, Strategic Advisor and Mentor, ITA Technologietransfer GmbH & APS GmbH, Dr. Vijay Gotmare, Representative Director, India, Frontier Cool Inc. (Taiwan), and Mr. Shaligram, Consultant, Reliance Retail, Bengaluru.
Discussions during the seminar covered the application of AI in textile manufacturing, retail, supply chain management, quality inspection, sustainability, and fashion forecasting. Speakers highlighted areas such as predictive analytics, inventory optimization, automated defect detection, digital twins, smart processing, and sustainable manufacturing practices. The session also focused on the need for interdisciplinary education, data literacy, and industry-oriented AI integration for future professionals in the textile and fashion industry.
Departments present projects across fashion, textiles and technology
As part of Genesis 2026, graduating students presented projects and collections across multiple disciplines.
The Fashion Design Department showcased “FASHIONOVA 2026” with collections developed in collaboration with Tata Trent, BIBA, Skechers, and Myntra, focusing on sustainability, heritage textiles, and experimental silhouettes.
The Textile Design Department presented “TANTU 2026”, featuring projects related to apparel, home décor, branding, and sustainable textile practices in association with organizations including Arvind, Raymond, Jaipur Rugs, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, and Eka.
The Accessory Design Department organized “TAOCEAN 2026”, showcasing projects in jewellery, footwear, furniture, UI/UX, and experiential design with collaborators including Titan, Boat, Bluestone, Tata Power, and adidas.
The Master of Design Space Department showcased “D.Dots 2026” with interdisciplinary projects covering service design, sustainability, and brand strategy in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services, Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Limited, and Lokus Design.
The Bachelor of Fashion Technology Department presented “TECHNOVA 2026”, featuring projects related to smart manufacturing, process optimization, and inclusive design with organizations including GUESS, Reliance Brands, and Sidney Apparels LLC.
The Fashion Communication Department hosted “COMMUNIQUE 2026”, featuring work in branding, AI-generated filmmaking, digital storytelling, and e-commerce in collaboration with Reliance Retail, Puma, Tata Cliq, Gozoop Group, and DDB Mudra.
The Knitwear Design Department organized “KNITMODA 2026”, presenting womenswear, menswear, activewear, and streetwear collections developed with Gokaldas Exports and Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd.
The Department of Fashion Management Studies presented “The Bottomline”, featuring projects focused on e-commerce, retail, supply chain management, luxury fashion, and fashion technology. Students from the Master of Fashion Management programme collaborated with organizations including Zouk, Aza Fashions, Pantaloons, Flipkart, Zudio, and Westside.
Graduation fashion show concludes the event
The event concluded with a graduation fashion show featuring final collections by students from the Fashion Design and Knitwear Design departments. Students presented collections comprising five to seven ensembles across categories including couture, avant-garde, and prêt-à-porter.
The collections explored themes such as sustainability, heritage textiles, and traditional crafts, while incorporating techniques including wool felting, weaving with new fibres, photo luminescent fabrics, unconventional silhouettes, textures, and computerized hand flat knitting.
The Graduation Showcase “Genesis 2026” marked the completion of the academic journey for the graduating Batch of 2026 at National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai.