Mumbai : JD Institute of Fashion Technology has officially announced the return of its flagship platform, the JD Design Awards 2026 a pan-India celebration of design excellence that will bring together the country’s most promising emerging designers on a unified national stage. The nationwide edition will begin with its grand showcase in Mumbai before expanding across 16 cities.
Positioned as one of India’s most significant student-led design showcases, the JD Design Awards continues to bridge academic learning with real-world industry exposure, offering graduating students a high-visibility platform to present their final creative work before leading names from the design ecosystem.
Following the grand showcases in Mumbai and Bengaluru, the JD Design Awards 2026 will travel to:
● Mumbai (Grand Showcase)
● Bengaluru (Grand Showcase)
● Vadodara
● Ranchi
● Bhubaneswar (Two Editions)
● Kanpur
● Berhampur
● Hyderabad
● Vijayawada
● Kochi
● Goa
● Indore
● Raipur
● Siliguri
● Pune
● Tezpur
● Gandhidham
Together, these showcases will celebrate regional creative excellence while reinforcing a unified national vision for nurturing the next generation of designers.
Each city showcase will feature curated presentations across Fashion Design, Interior Design, Visual Communication, Jewellery Design, and allied creative disciplines, spotlighting the next generation of India’s design talent.
The grand Mumbai showcase will bring together an esteemed jury of leading designers and creative professionals from the fields of fashion, interiors, and architecture, including Karan Desai (Karan Desai Home), Minnie Bhatt (Minnie Bhatt Design), Neha Changwani (INC Design), Tania Shah (TS Designworks), Annkur Khosla (Annkur Khosla Design), Shubham Patil (Surekh Décor), Jasmine Jhaveri (Jasmine Jhaveri Living), Narendra Kumar Ahmed, Sougat Paul (Soup by Sougat Paul), James Ferreira, Aarti Vijay Gupta, Saim Ghani, Dipti Advait (Nouria), and Sherina (Label Nonita), among others.
Students across campuses have expressed strong excitement for the upcoming edition, viewing JD Design Awards as a transformative opportunity that goes beyond a graduation showcase offering direct exposure to industry leaders, live jury interactions, and the chance to present their work on a national platform.
Mr. Yogesh Dalal, Trustee at JD Institute Of Fashion Technology always has been consistent in providing the best opportunities to students while Dr. Payal Dalal, Director at JD Institute Of Fashion Technology focused widely on the best academic point of view. Beyond being a graduation showcase, JD Design Awards has evolved into a national platform where education meets industry, offering students mentorship, exposure, and direct feedback from practitioners shaping India’s creative economy.
Speaking on the announcement, Rinesh Dalal, Director at JD Institute of Fashion Technology, said: “The JD Design Awards is more than an award—it is a legacy we have built over decades, and one that continues to evolve with every new generation of designers. It provides our students with a platform to showcase their creativity and talent before industry leaders, helping them gain valuable exposure as they begin their professional journeys. With this year’s pan-India edition, starting with the grand showcase in Mumbai, we are expanding that legacy and creating even more opportunities for emerging design talent, ”
From sustainable fashion and adaptive interiors to technology-driven design and socially conscious innovation, the 2026 edition is expected to showcase work that reflects the evolving direction of global design thinking while spotlighting India’s emerging creative voice.
With participation across multiple cities and thousands of emerging designers, the JD Design Awards 2026 reinforces JD Institute of Fashion Technology’s position as one of India’s leading launchpads for next-generation creative talent.