**Policy Summary: Support for Research and Education in the Apparel Industry**
This document summarizes the Indian government's initiatives, as articulated in response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2584, aimed at supporting research and education within the apparel industry. The Ministry of Textiles, through the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), actively promotes research and academic advancement in the textile and apparel sectors. NIFT conducts Ph.D. programs and provides financial support to full-time research scholars through Teaching Fellowships, which include a monthly stipend, contingency grant, and HRA for up to four years. Alternative support is available as Project Fellows or Industry Chair Fellows through externally funded collaborations for scholars not availing the Teaching Fellowship.
NIFT also facilitates industry-based research projects for final-semester undergraduate and postgraduate students, assigning both academic and industry mentors to foster applied research and industry engagement.
Financial assistance is also provided to handloom weavers/workers' children, with scholarships of up to Rs. 2.00 lakh per annum per child (up to two children per family) for Diploma, Undergraduate, and Postgraduate courses (3-4 years duration) at Central/State Government recognized/funded Textiles Institutions.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued guidelines to Higher Education Institutions to develop curriculum in technical textiles, encouraging participation in the National Technical Textile Mission (NTTM) through proposal submissions.
Key Entities Referenced
National Institute of Fashion Technology NIFT: A statutory institute under the NIFT Act, 2006, actively supporting research and academic advancement in the textile and apparel sectors.
NIFT Act, 2006: The act under which the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) was established.
Ministry of Textiles: The ministry responsible for setting up the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and supporting the textile and apparel sectors.
University Grants Commission UGC: An organization that has issued guidelines to Higher Education Institutions to develop curriculum in the field of technical textiles to participate in the National Technical Textile Mission.
National Technical Textile Mission NTTM: A mission in which the University Grants Commission (UGC) wants Higher Education Institutions to participate by developing curriculum in the field of technical textiles and submitting their proposals.
SHRI ANIL FIROJIYA: Member of LOK SABHA who asked the unstarred question No. 2584
SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA: The Minister of State for Textiles who answered the question.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question was raised.
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2584
TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.08.2025
SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR RESEARCH SCHOLARS
2584. SHRI ANIL FIROJIYA:
Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री
be pleased to state :
(a) whether the Government is providing special scholarship, research fellowship to the students or
running any industry academic collaboration scheme for the scholars engaged in research in apparel
industry;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether UGC or other higher education institutes have formulated any special directions or providing
grant-in-aid to encourage inter disciplinary research combining textiles, commerce and technology
focusing on apparel industry; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
उत्तर
ANSWER
वस्त्र राज् य मंत्री (श्री पबित्र मार्घरे रटा)
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES
(SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA)
(a) to (d): National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT); a statutory institute under the NIFT
Act, 2006 and set up by the Ministry of Textiles, actively supports the research and academic
advancement in the textile and apparel sectors. It conducts Ph.D. programmes and provides financial
support to full-time research scholars through the Teaching Fellowship. This includes a monthly stipend,
contingency grant, and HRA for up to four years. However, scholars not availing this fellowship may
seek support as Project Fellows or Industry Chair Fellows through externally funded collaborations.
NIFT also offers an opportunity to final semester students of all undergraduate and postgraduate
programmes to undertake sponsored, industry-based research projects. Each student is assigned an
academic mentor from NIFT and an industry mentor from the sponsoring organisation, thereby fostering
applied research and industry engagement at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
In addition, Scholarship (maximum upto Rs.2.00 lakh per annum per child) is also provided to
handloom weavers/workers’ children (upto 2 children) for study in 3/4 years Diploma/Under
Graduate/Post Graduate courses of Central/State Govt. recognized/funded Textiles Institutions.
Further University Grants Commission (UGC) has also issued guidelines to all the Higher
Education Institutions to develop curriculum in the field of technical textiles to participate in National
Technical Textile Mission (NTTM) by submitting their proposals.
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