Srinagar, Apr 17: The Director General National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Tanu Kashyap has stated that the NIFT Srinagar campus was an opportunity for the children of artisan families to get benefit of the institute and pursue their career in craft designing.
The DG NIFT was speaking while taking a review of the two-day Craft Bazaar exhibition organised by NIFT Srinagar. NIFT Srinagar had invited local artisans to showcase how they are redesigning the local crafts as per the current market demands and requirements.
“We have 35 percent reservation for local students here so the kids of artisans should avail the opportunity to get the admission without any entrance exam and excel in their designing career,” Tanu Kashyap told Greater Kashmir.
She said the local students have started showing a positive response towards NIFT in terms of taking admission at NIFT Srinagar. “The management of NIFT Srinagar is reaching out to people to inform them about new career fields and the prestigious institution like NIFT where they can pursue their career in fashion technology and designing,” she said.
About the Craft Bazaar exhibition, she said the exhibition was organised to showcase the skills of Kashmiri artisans.
“If we have a campus here, it should not only benefit NIFT but also the entire Kashmir because if artisans are trained and taught new designs which they can make in Kashmiri crafts as per the contemporary market demands, it would be a great achievement for us,” she said .
She said the NIFT has a mandate, no matter where the campus is located in India, to pay special attention to the local crafts and in Kashmir there are many languishing crafts which can be redesigned as per the present market demand which will provide a livelihood to the artisans here.
“For example, designing on Tweed, working on bronze, or wood carving, all these are special. NIFT specifically works on design intervention, and students are sent to craft clusters with faculty so that the design meets the contemporary market demand,” she said.
She said the NIFT course curriculum is designed in such a way that it focuses a lot on making local arts and crafts relevant as per the requirements of the contemporary times.
“Therefore, NIFT Srinagar will definitely promote local crafts, skills, and handloom,” she said.
Director NIFT Srinagar, Dr Javid Ahmad Wani said that through Craft Bazaar, NIFT Srinagar is showcasing the rich heritage and artistic talents of Kashmir.
“Craft Bazaar provides a platform for local artisans to exhibit their skills, fostering economic growth, cultural exchange, and community cohesion,” he said. He said that it is an opportunity to celebrate tradition, promote sustainability, and empower artisans.
“As a community, we need to come forward to support our local craftsperson,” he said.