Job Opportunities & Salary for NIFT Graduates in 2026: Highest and Average Package

The job and career opportunities for NIFT graduates is evolving each year with a promising career graph. The starting salary of a NIFT graduate ranges between INR 15,000 to INR 35,000. While, after getting experience in the field, the salary can range up to INR 30 LPA to INR 35 LPA. The design industry is rapidly shifting towards sustainability, technology, and digital commerce.

The fashion, apparel, textile, and footwear design industry shall act as the backbone of the fashion industry. The brands are regressively hiring new minds that shall invest towards minimizing the waste, boosting upcycling processes, and sourcing eco-friendly materials.

Fashion Management (MFM) and Technology (B.F.Tech) have offered the highest placement packages so far due to the e-commerce boom. You can expect an entry-level salary ranging between INR 5 lakhs and INR 8 lakhs. While the growth potential in the next 5-7 years shall range between INR 15 lakhs and INR 25 lakhs.

What is the Rising Career Opportunities of NIFT Across Sectors?

Fashion is not just the act of manufacturing fashionable apparel anymore. Indeed, there are areas such as marketing, merchandising, buying, e-commerce, and social media that one must possess knowledge of. The sectors available for employment of NIFT graduates in the year 2026 are retail, export, branding, fashion digital, and many more.

Many students who complete their courses at NIFT are placed in multinational companies, and some of them opt for establishing their own fashion labels.

• Fashion marketing is gradually becoming popular, and jobs such as brand managers and retail planners, among others, are common.
• Nowadays, it is essential for the brands represented in the sphere of fashion to have e-commerce specialists and social media managers.
• Eco-fashion is currently the new fashion, and fashion has great prospects in this segment.
• Luxury brand management is a very promising field; international brands are always in search of personnel with knowledge of consumer behavior and trends.
• Traditional retail still offers stable careers, with roles like store managers and visual merchandisers in high demand.

Also Read: Tips to Crack Interviews for Design Courses at NIFT

NIFT Salary Trends in 2026

The above prediction of the salary that NIFT graduates would be able to earn in 2026 will therefore depend on the position to be held, the industry, and the experience level. The remuneration scale is not very high for starters, but other candidates can earn up to six figures. Global placements are also increasing, and graduates are able to earn international salaries and other benefits.

The table below shows the estimated salaries to be paid to the individuals according to the job position:

Role of Placements and Internships

The placement cell of NIFT is highly efficient and actively involved in arranging industrial exposure and interaction for the students. The graduates and the salary that they would be able to secure in 2026 would also depend on the internships and practical experience that they gain in the course of their studies. Many students receive their placements in the form of Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs), where the company offers the students a job after completing their internships.

Some of the major recruiters of NIFT are Zara, H&M, Reliance Retail, Louis Vuitton, Amazon, Flipkart, Nike, etc., which offer a diverse range of job opportunity for nift students. This is quite advantageous since the on-campus placement ensures that a student has more than one offer even before completing his or her studies.

Salaries in Luxury, Retail, and Buying Management

Luxury fashion is one of the most promising areas for the graduates of NIFT. There is a requirement for brand strategists, retail buyers, and luxury goods analysts in Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton for their expanding operations in India and international markets. This segment offers minimum salary packages ranging between INR 8 LPA and INR 12 LPA; however, those in the higher pay bracket within the segment earn more.

Retail management is still a relatively conservative field, as Reliance Retail and Aditya Birla Group provide mid-level employees with a package of INR 6 LPA-INR 9 LPA. There is also movement in purchase and merchandise buying positions, given that firms want individuals with skills in consumer analytics and demand forecasting.

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• What is a good rank to apply at NIFT Delhi?
• NID Vs NIFT: Which is Better Choice?

Growing Scope of E-Commerce and Digital Fashion

Fashion is one of the industries that has adopted the use of technology in its functioning; this has led to many careers going online. The prospects that the graduates of NIFT would enjoy in 2026 are now more diverse than the traditional employment opportunities. There are many vacancies in the market, like business analyst, digital content strategist, and e-commerce manager. Some jobs can be taken by those with an understanding of how consumers of fashion products behave on the internet.

Luxury brands are also adopting AI and other related tools such as virtual fashion shows and digital clothing, which has resulted in the development of new jobs that did not exist. It can be assumed that the demand for graduates of NIFT in 2026 specializing in digital fashion marketing or virtual retailing will be high due to a shortage of supply.

Final Words

For those who would want to take up a course in NIFT or those who are already taking their degrees, the future can be as bright as this flower. The employment and salary prospects of the NIFT graduates by 2026 will therefore be determined by the trends in the fashion industry, but it can be forecasted that there will be employment growth in this field. Therefore, any graduate from NIFT has the world at their feet if they specialize in branding, marketing, retail, or fashion, whether internet or digital.

To the students, it is high time to enhance their skills, develop their contacts, and get the practical experience that is so necessary for their further work. Now it is the turn of the new generation to take over the fashion world, and NIFT graduates are ready to take this opportunity.