Dr. Reena Aggarwal

Associate Professor, Textile Design (BDes)

Mumbai Campus

Dr. Reena Aggarwal

faculty-1
  • reena.aggarwal@nift.ac.in
  • CIC
  • Cluster Initiative Coordinator (CIC)
LinkedIn Profile
Dr. Reena Aggarwal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Textile Design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Mumbai, with over 25 years of academic and research experience. She specializes in Traditional textiles, Crafts of India, Sustainable textiles, Natural dyes, Textile printing, Surface embellishment, Textile finishes, Textile testing, and textile science. She holds a Ph.D. in Textile Science from Banasthali University and joined NIFT Mumbai in 2008 after teaching at Banasthali University, Lady Irwin College (University of Delhi), and IMS Noida. She served as the Head of the Textile Design Department from 2015 to 2021, contributing to curriculum development, academic planning, industry collaborations, and departmental administration.

Her research focuses on traditional Indian textiles, sustainable textile practices, craft documentation, natural dyes, and design interventions for artisan communities. She has coordinated several sponsored projects on Maheshwar textiles, Solapur wall hangings and dhurries, Himroo fabrics, and Design Resource Centres for handloom clusters. She has authored and presented over 75 research papers in national and international journals and conferences and has contributed to a NIFT textbook on intellectual property rights.

Dr. Aggarwal actively promotes sustainable textile education through research, field-based learning, and collaborations with artisans, government agencies, and academic institutions. She mentors undergraduate and postgraduate students, conducts workshops and lectures, and remains committed to preserving India's textile heritage through innovation, sustainability, and community engagement.