About NID Gandhinagar

Located in the capital city of Gujarat, NID Gandhinagar began in 2004 as an extension of NID Ahmedabad. It’s a residential campus with postgraduate design education, specifically the Master of Design (M.Des) program. The institute offers full-time courses across seven disciplines, such as Apparel Design, Strategic Design Management, Toy & Game Design, Photography Design, New Media Design, Transportation & Automobile Design, and Lifestyle Accessory Design.

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NID Gandhinagar Highlights

This campus is for the postgraduate programs.
Recognized by the government as an Institution of National Importance, which puts it in a small group of top design schools in India.
Located in Gandhinagar, Gujarat’s capital, about half an hour’s drive from Ahmedabad and NID’s main campus.
Runs only Master of Design (M.Des) programs — no undergraduate courses here.
The campus is roughly 15 acres, with purpose-built studios, workshops, and open courtyards where students often work on prototypes or group projects.
Facilities cover a lot: wood and metal workshops, laser cutting, CNC, 3D printing, photography labs, digital studios, and a resource center for research.
Has its own Innovation Centre for Natural Fibres, which works on sustainable materials and craft-based projects with artisans.
The teaching is project-based, with a lot of hands-on assignments linked to live industry briefs.

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Toppers from afdindia Institute

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Bhadra Balu - AIR 1
NID M.Des – 2023

Sreehari S - AIR 1
NID B.Des - 2017

Arun Pynadath - AIR 1
NID B.Des - 2018

D. Sakthiswari - AIR 1
NIFT B.Des - 2017

NID Gandhinagar Admission Process

First, decide which M.Des specialisations you want to go for. This campus only offers master’s programs. You can choose up to two options.

You’ll need a bachelor’s degree, which can be in design, fine arts, architecture, engineering, or another related field. If that’s sorted, keep an eye on the official NID admissions site for when the forms go live. Fill them in, upload your documents, and pay the fee online.

The first stage is the DAT Prelims, a written test to check your design thinking and problem-solving. If you clear that, you’ll be called for DAT Mains. That part usually has a studio test, an interview, and portfolio review.

Once both rounds are over, NID puts out a combined merit list. If your name’s there, you’ll have to submit your documents, pay the first year’s fees, and lock in your seat.

NID Gandhinagar Application Process

When the admissions open, everything happens through NID’s official portal. That’s where you choose your specialisations. You can apply for up to two specialisations and put in your details.

You’ll have to upload the usual documents: degree certificate or provisional proof of graduation, ID, a recent photo, and any category certificates if applicable. The portal is fussy about file sizes and formats, so it’s worth checking those before you start.

The application fee is paid online, and the amount changes depending on your category. Once the payment goes through, you get a confirmation with your application number. Keep it because you’ll need it later for your admit card.

There’s an optional correction window if you make a mistake, but not for every detail. After that, it’s just about waiting for the DAT Prelims date and getting your prep in order.

NID Gandhinagar Eligibility

For the M.Des here, you need a bachelor’s degree in something connected to design, fine arts, architecture, engineering, or a related area. If you’re in your final year, you can still apply, as long as you finish before classes begin. There’s no age limit, but what really matters is how you perform in the DAT tests and how strong your portfolio is.

Fees Structure

The M.Des at NID Gandhinagar is spread over five semesters. Tuition for the first year is usually a little over ₹4.5 lakh, and by the end of the course, most students spend somewhere between ₹11 and ₹11.6 lakh on tuition alone.

That doesn’t include hostel, food, or material costs. Those come separately and depend on what you use and how you live on campus. NID updates its fee sheet every year, so it’s worth checking the latest fees before you plan.

Scholarships and Financial Aid at NID Gandhinagar

NID Gandhinagar doesn’t offer a large in-house scholarship program, but students often benefit from national and state-level schemes. Many use scholarships like the National Fellowship for OBC, SC, and ST students, or state education department aid.

Education loans are another common route, with banks recognising NID as an Institution of National Importance, which makes the process smoother. Some industry-sponsored scholarships also come through competitions or collaborations, so it’s worth keeping an eye on notices during the academic year.

NID Gandhinagar Placements

In the final year, the placement cell starts calling companies, arranging portfolio reviews, and setting up industry talks. By the time interviews begin, most students have already been in touch with potential recruiters through projects or internships.

The average package in recent years has been around ₹21 lakh a year. Some offers come in lower, closer to ₹12 lakh, while a few have crossed ₹23 lakh. Big names in automotive design, tech, fashion, and consulting show up, along with smaller studios looking for specialised skills.

A lot of students get their first breakthrough internships during the course, and it’s not unusual for those to turn into full-time offers.

NID Gandhinagar Facilities

The campus is designed so that most facilities are within a short walking distance. Each discipline has its own studio space, so you can leave your work spread out without worrying about shifting it every day. The workshops are well-equipped with wood, metal, laser cutting, CNC, and 3D printing; all in the same block, so it’s easy to move between processes.

Photography students have their own darkroom and shooting areas. There’s also a model-making room where you’ll often find people working late into the night.

The Knowledge Management Centre is the library, but it’s more than shelves of books, journals, archives, and a digital section for research. The Innovation Centre for Natural Fibres sits on one end of the campus, working on material experiments and craft-based projects.

There’s an auditorium for talks and screenings, open gallery spaces where students put up exhibitions, and hostel buildings close enough that you can get to the studio in a couple of minutes.

Why afdindia for NID Coaching?

Cracking NID entrance exam isn’t just about being good at design. You need to know the exam stages, the timelines, and what the selectors expect to see in a portfolio. afdindia has been helping design aspirants through this for years.

Our NID coaching is tailored to your unique needs. For some, that’s improving drawing and ideation speed; for others, it’s understanding how to tackle problem-solving questions or put together a portfolio that tells a story.

Mock tests, portfolio checks, and honest feedback are also part of coaching. Additionally, our team closely monitors important dates, updates in the test format, and subtle details that could impact performance. This blend of expert guidance, personalized mentoring, and practical strategies makes afdindia a preferred choice for students aspiring to excel in the NID entrance exam.