The National Institute of Design (NID) is one of India’s most prestigious design schools, offering UG (B.Des) and PG (M.Des) programs across multiple campuses. The admission to UG & PG programsis conducted through NID Design Aptitude Test (DAT), which consists of Prelims and Mains. Once NID DAT results got declared, shortlisted candidates must go through the NID DAT counselling process, a critical phase that finalizes seat allocation based on merit, preferences, and category.
The National Institute of Design (NID) has officially commenced Seat Allotment Round 2 for the M.Des program on May 29, 2025. The seat allotment portal is now live, candidates must confirm their seat, pay the required fee, and upload all necessary documents by June 2, 2025. Meanwhile, B.Des Seat Allotment Round 1 began on May 27, 2025, and the deadline to confirm the seat, submit the non-refundable fee, and upload documents was May 30, 2025. The seats will be allotted to the candidates based on their NID DAT merit list and preferences selected. However, for the M.Des candidates, it will be strictly based on merit rank secured by them in the exam. The NID DAT confirmation fee is INR 30,000 for Indian students and INR 75,000 for students overseas with additional convenience charges applicable.
This blog offers a comprehensive look at the NID DAT counselling process, including important dates, steps involved, required documents, seat allotment rules, and FAQs to help you navigate your admission journey smoothly.
What is NID DAT Counselling process?
NID DAT counselling is the process for admission to the National Institute of Design. Those candidates who have cleared prelims exam need to qualify mains as well. Both prelims and mains qualified applicants will be invited for an offline NID DAT counselling, held at the NID Ahemdabad. If a candidate fails to complete the payment on time, the seat goes to the next
merit-listed candidate. Admission to the NID depends on the merit list, category and seat preferences. If a candidate miss the counselling process or did not pay the seat allotment fees, results in forfeiting the seats and goes to the next eligible candidate.
NID DAT Counselling Overview
| Particulars | Details |
| Exam Name | NID DAT (Design Aptitude Test) |
| Courses | B.Des, M.Des |
| Conducting Body | National Institute of Design (NID) |
| Counselling Mode | Online |
| Basis of Counselling | Merit rank in DAT Mains |
| Seat Allotment | Based of merit, preference, and category |
| Official Website | admissions.nid.edu |
NID Counselling Dates 2026 (Tentative)
The table below provides an overview of the tentative NID DAT dates for both the Bachelor of Design (B.Des) and Master of Design (M.Des) programs for the NID Entrance Exam 2026.
| Event | NID B.Des Dates (Tentative) | NID M.Des Dates (Tentative) |
| NID DAT Application Date | Sept 8 to Dec 1, 2025 | Sept 8 to Dec 1, 2025 |
| NID DAT Registration by Paying Late Fee | December Last Week, 2025 | December Last Week, 2025 |
| Correction of NID DAT Application Form | December Last Week, 2025 | December Last Week, 2025 |
| NID DAT Admit Card | 10 days Before Prelims Exam | 10 days Before Prelims Exam |
| NID DAT Exam Date (Prelims) | January first Week 2026 | January first Week 2026 |
| NID DAT Prelims Result | Feb to March 2026 | March to April 2026 |
| Rechecking Request for DAT Prelims | March End 2026 | March End 2026 |
| Download Admit Card for NID DAT Mains | 10 days before Mains Exam | 10 days before Mains Exam |
| NID DAT Exam Date (Mains Exam) | April to May 2026 | April to May 2026 |
| NID DAT Mains Result | May 2026 | May 2026 |
| Opening of Submission Window of Campus Preference | May last week 2026 | May last week 2026 |
| Rechecking Request for DAT Mains | Up to 2 days after Mains result | Up to 2 days after Mains result |
| Payment of Token Fees and Uploading of Documents | May to June 2026 | May to June 2026 |
| Provisional Offer Letter of NID Admission | June 2026 | May to June 2026 |
NID DAT Counselling Process
Here’s a simplified breakdown of the NID DAT counselling process:
Step 1: Check NID DAT Qualifying Status: To take part in NID DAT counselling, candidates are required to successfully clear the NID entrance exam. After the NID DAT Mains exam, NID publishes the final merit list on its official website, where candidates are ranked on the basis of their combined scores in Prelims and Mains. Only shortlisted candidates are eligible for NID DAT counselling round.
Step 2: Submission of Campus Preference (only for B.Des applicants): B.Des candidates need to submit their campus choices and the entries must be in the order of priority. If no option is selected, the candidate may be disqualified. The campus selection will be based on the seat availability and candidate’s merit rank. M.Des candidates do not need to submit the campus preferences.
Step 3: Seat Allocation: The allotment of seats will be conducted on the basis of candidate’s merit rank, campus preference (for B.Des), and seat availability, and category. Once the seat is allocated, the candidate has to confirm their seat by paying the non-refundable seat acceptance fee of INR 30,000 (online payment) + convenience fees (as applicable) for General, Gen EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST, and PwD candidates and uploading the essential documents. The required documents are listed below:
- For B.Des:
- Class 10 & 12 mark sheets and certificates
- NID DAT admit card and scorecard
- Birth certificate
- Caste/category certificate (if applicable)
- PwD certificate (if applicable)
- Passport-size photograph
- Government-issued photo ID
- For M.Des
- Bachelor’s degree/provisional certificate
- Final year mark sheets (or previous semester if awaiting results)
- Relevant category certificates
- Work experience proof (if applicable)
- Portfolio (in some specializations)
- Passport-size photograph
- Government-issued photo ID
Only those candidates who upload all the necessary documents without fail will be considered for subsequent stages of the process. In case the candidates are waiting for their class 12 or degree final semester results, they must produce a bonafide certificate to the exam authorities. This certificate must contain the signature and acknowledgement of the principal of the school or college.
Step 4 : Document Verification: All the documents uploaded by the candidates will be cross-checked by the NID authorities against the information provided at the time of online registration. If any discrepancy is found, the candidate will be disqualified. Document verification is essential for confirming admission.
Step 5: Issue of Provisional Offer Letter: Upon successful verification of documents provided by the candidates, the provisional offer letter will gets issued and the candidates are required to pay the first semester fee for the allotted seat. Candidates must download this letter from the NID admission portal and present it during the admission process.
NID DAT Seat Matrix 2025
The NID DAT seat matrix indicates the total number of seats available for the B.Des and M.Des programs across various NID campuses. The seat distribution is categorized based on different reservation criteria, including General-EWS, OBC-NCL, SC/ST. The seat matrix for various NID campuses is given below. For the B.Des program, there are 425 seats available, while the M.Des program has 347 seats.
NID DAT B.Des Category-Wise Seat Matrix 2025
| Institute | Total Seats | GEN-EWS (10%) | OBC-NCL (27%) | SC (15%) | ST (7.5%) |
| NID Ahemdabad | 125 | 13 | 34 | 19 | 9 |
| NID Andhra Pradesh | 75 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 6 |
| NID Haryana | 75 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 6 |
| NID Madhya Pradesh | 75 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 6 |
| NID Assam | 75 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 6 |
| Total | 425 | 45 | 114 | 63 | 33 |
NID DAT B.Des Discipline-Wise Seat Matrix 2025
NID campuses offers B.Des program in various disciplines. Let’s understand the seat matrix of NID campuses discipline-wise.
- Seat Matrix for NID Ahemdabad Campus
| Department | Discipline | Seat Intake |
| Faculty of Communication Design | Animation Film Design | 19 |
| Exhibition Design | 13 | |
| Film and Video Communication | 13 | |
| Graphic Design | 19 | |
| Faculty of Industrial Design | Cermaic & Glass Design | 13 |
| Furniture & Interior Design | 19 | |
| Product Design | 19 | |
| Faculty of Textile, Apparel & Lifestyle Accessory Design | Textile Design | 19 |
- Seat Matrix for NID Andhra Pradesh
| Department | Seat Intake |
| Communication Design | 25 |
| Industrial Deisgn | 25 |
| Textile & Apparel Design | 25 |
- Seat Matrix for NID Haryana
| Department | Seat Intake |
| Communication Design | 25 |
| Industrial Deisgn | 25 |
| Textile & Apparel Design | 25 |
- Seat Matrix for NID Madhya Pradesh
| Department | Seat Intake |
| Communication Design | 25 |
| Industrial Deisgn | 25 |
| Textile & Apparel Design | 25 |
- Seat Matrix for NID Assam
| Department | Seat Intake |
| Communication Design | 25 |
| Industrial Deisgn | 25 |
| Textile & Apparel Design | 25 |
NID DAT M.Des Category-Wise Seat Matrix 2025
| Discipline | GEN-EWS (10%) | OBC-NCL (27%) | SC (15%) | ST (7.5%) |
| Disciplines with 19 seats each | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Disciplines with 12 seats each | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
NID DAT M.Des Discipline-Wise Seat Matrix 2025
The NID offers M.Des program at its Ahemdabad, Bengaluru, and Gandhinagar campuses in various disciplines. These disciplines with their seat intake are mentioned below.
- Faculty of Communication Design
| Discipline | NID Campus | Seat Intake |
| Animation Film Design | Ahemdabad | 19 |
| Film & Video Communication | Ahemdabad | 19 |
| Graphic Design | Ahemdabad | 19 |
| Photography Design | Gandhinagar | 19 |
- Faculty of Industrial Design
| Discipline | NID Campus | Seat Intake |
| Ceramic & Glass Design | Ahemdabad | 12 |
| Furniture & Interior Design | Ahemdabad | 19 |
| Product Design | Ahemdabad | 19 |
| Toy & Game Design | Gandhinagar | 12 |
| Transportation & Automobile Design | Gandhinagar | 19 |
| Universal Design | Bengaluru | 19 |
- Facutly of Integrated Technology-Integrated Programs
| Discipline | NID Campus | Seat Intake |
| Digital Game Design | Bengaluru | 19 |
| Information Design | Bengaluru | 19 |
| Interaction Design | Bengaluru | 19 |
| New Media Design | Gandhinagar | 19 |
- Faculty of Interdisciplinary Design Studio
| Discipline | NID Campus | Seat Intake |
| Design of Retail Experience | Bengaluru | 19 |
| Strategic Design Management | Gandhinagar | 19 |
- Faculty of Textile, Apparel and Lifestyle Accessory Design
| Discipline | NID Campus | Seat Intake |
| Apparel Design | Bengaluru | 19 |
| Lifestyle Accessory Design | Gandhinagar | 19 |
| Textile Design | Ahemdabad | 19 |
NID DAT Counselling FAQs
The initial stages like seat allotment, document upload, and fee payment are online. Final admission requires physical reporting to the allotted campus.
No, NID does not allow any campus transfers once the seat is allotted.
The initial stages like seat allotment, document upload, and fee payment are online. Final admission requires physical reporting to the allotted campus.
The non-refundable token fee for NID B.Des and M.Des programs is INR 30,000 for Indian students and INR 75,000 for overseas students. This fee must be paid to confirm seat allotment.