AHMEDABAD: The Department of Fashion Management Studies at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Gandhinagar, hosted “The Bottomline 2026.” The event served as the official graduation project showcase for the Master of Fashion Management (MFM) batch of 2024–26, highlighting the industry-centric research of 37 graduating corporate-ready professionals.
The milestone event was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Sameer Sood, Director of NIFT Gandhinagar, alongside Dr. Raj Kumar Jaiswal and an array of top-tier industry founders, promoters, and HR leaders.
Strategic Vision: Driving a $100 Billion Export Goal
In his keynote address, Director Prof. Dr. Sameer Sood underscored that NIFT operates at the intersection of Design, Management, and Technology, training professionals to helm the strategic business dimensions of global fashion rather than focusing solely on garment design.
-
The 3Ts Pillar: Dr. Sood highlighted Textiles, Tourism, and Technology (3Ts) as the central pillars driving India’s trajectory toward a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
-
Tripling Export Targets: While recognizing the massive growth in domestic retail, he urged graduates to actively tap into the apparel export sector. The Ministry of Textiles has set a national target to triple India’s textile exports from $35 billion to $100 billion, a push expected to generate large-scale grassroots employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
-
Artisanal Strength: He noted with pride that India accounts for nearly 95% of the world’s handwoven fabrics, positioning the nation as a premier global hub for sustainable and ethical textile sourcing.
Industry Insights: Entrepreneurship & Human-Centric AI
The showcase featured highly encouraging narratives from guest speakers:
-
Ms. Pooja Shukla (Vedic Apparels): Shared her zero-to-one journey of starting a brand in 2008 with a seed capital of just ₹5 lakh, one tailor, and one salesperson, eventually scaling to top-seller spots across national retail chains like Shoppers Stop and Reliance.
-
Mr. Swapnil Soni (Studio Carbon): Addressed the concept of “The Bottom Line,” arguing that true success encompasses societal impact alongside profit margins. Touching upon Artificial Intelligence, he compared AI to a modern-day pencil—a powerful tool to accelerate efficiency, though human empathy, vision, and emotional connection will permanently remain irreplaceable.
Key Graduation Project Highlights
The 37 graduating students collaborated with leading retail, sportswear, and digital-first brands to solve real-world operational bottlenecks:
| Student | Partner Organization | Project Title / Focus | Core Operational Impact |
| Ms. Akhya Jain | Flipkart / E-commerce | PACE (Product Analysis & Campaign Efficiency) | An automated decision intelligence framework that unifies fragmented e-commerce data, drastically cutting reporting times and raising SKU-level analysis accuracy. |
| Ms. Rudri Bhatt | RENÉE Cosmetics | Visual Merchandising Lab Framework | Introduced centralized, modular display solutions to maintain visual consistency across diverse retail formats. |
| Ms. Mannat Arora | Myntra | Data-Driven Merchandising | Developed automated analytical dashboards for category-level business planning and optimized assortment strategies. |
| Ms. Nandini Sahai | ASICS India | Digital Commerce Optimization | Integrated automation, business intelligence (BI), and AI discoverability frameworks to optimize digital retail execution. |
| Ms. Khushi Vora | Skechers India | Sell-Through Optimization | Implemented strategic visual merchandising interventions across tier A+ retail stores to maximize inventory productivity. |
