Confluence 2026

Prof. Dr. Sameer Sood is the Director of NIFT Gandhinagar, with over 21 years of professional and academic experience in fashion, textiles, and apparel. His areas of expertise include product development, fashion merchandising, apparel exports, social compliance, and sustainability. He holds a PhD in Social Compliance Procedures for Apparel Export in India, an MBA in Public Policy and Management from MDI Gurgaon, and a Post-Graduation in Fashion Technology from NIFT.

Sandeep Kumar Mohar is a Graduate of NIFT(Gandhinagar) in Fashion Design and Masters in the same, currently working as Assistant Professor and Campus Coordinator of Fashion Design Department at NIFT Gandhinagar. working in the Fashion trade since 2004 in various roles such as Designer, Manager in the Fashion Industry and Design consultant in Indian Handicraft sector along with Academics of Fashion Design.

Dr Rupali Pandit is an Associate Professor (Senior Grade) at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Gandhinagar. She currently serves as the Link CP for the Textile Design Department and Student Development Activity Coordinator (SDAC). With over 25+ years of experience spanning industry, consultancy and academia, she brings expertise in textile and surface design, print design, craft studies, design processes, creative thinking, design thinking and design education. She holds a PhD in Design from Banasthali Vidyapith and an M.Des.

Rishabh Kumar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fashion Communication. He is currently pursuing a PhD and holds a Master’s Degree in Animation Production from Arts University (United Kingdom). In 2017, he cleared the UGC-NET examination and was honoured with two National Awards for ‘Best Animation’ and ‘Best Graphics’ by the All India Children’s Educational Audio-Video Festival. Rishabh’s passion for art, learning, and teaching led him to join NIFT in 2021.

Mr. Amit Phogat is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fashion Technology at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Gandhinagar. He specializes in textile and apparel production, manufacturing technology and industrial automation, with over 19 years of academic and industrial experience.

Ms Aarti Solanki is an Associate Professor with the Department of Fashion Technology. She has a total of 23 years of professional and academic experience. She also worked with the World Food Programme as a Food Aid Monitor officer in the Kutch region. She has been involved in projects of NIFT in the area of operator training. Her areas of interest are Garment Construction, Product Development, Protective Clothing, Apparel Quality Management and Sustainability in the Textile and Apparel Industry. She is pursuing her PhD in the Protective Clothing industry at NIFT.

Dr. Nupur Chopra is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fashion Technology at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Gandhinagar, with over 17 years of academic experience. Her areas of expertise include apparel merchandising, supply chain management, apparel production, quality management, process improvement, sustainable production, and textile and fashion systems. Prior to joining academia, she worked with Madura Garments Exports Ltd.

Mr.Nileshkumar Shidhapura Associate Professor of Fashion Communication specialises in Visual Art / Design .
He teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses like Drawing , Design Fundamental , Art & Design & Aesthetic , material studies (Clay - Cedamics ) , product photography , Visual Culture etc and leads visual  research through photography in the domain area of  rich cultural heritage  raditions  of india . 

Dr. Japjee Kaur Kohli is an Associate Professor in Fashion Design, bringing together fashion education, research, artistic practice, and academic leadership. She has been serving as Campus Coordinator, Foundation Studies Program, since January 2024, and previously served as Campus Coordinator, Fashion Design Department, from January 2021 to December 2023. She is UGC-NET qualified in Home Science and Management, reflecting her interdisciplinary expertise.