National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kangra

Department of Fashion Management Studies

MFM Course
Guidelines for the Graduation (Research) Project - (GP) Report
Jan 2023

Objectives and Time Frame:

Graduation Project (GP) or Graduation Research Project (GRP), is an integral part of the
academic curriculum of MFM. For the successful completion of the MFM programme, the
students are required to complete the GRP. After the completion of the 3rd Semester, in the
2nd year of the MFM Programme the students are required to work with an organisation for
practical application and experimentation of their knowledge acquired over the last three
Semesters. The duration of the GRP is hence fourth 16 weeks (Mandatory). In some
exigencies this period may be one or two weeks shorter with prior permission from the
faculty mentor at the institute, but in no cases the duration should be more than 16 weeks.
GRP aims at widening the student's perspective by providing an exposure to real life
organisational and environmental situations. This will enable the students to explore an
industry/organisation, build a relationship with a prospective employer, or simply hone their
skills in a familiar field. GRP also provides invaluable knowledge and networking experience
to the students. During the GRP, the student has the chance to put whatever he/she learned in
the last three semesters into practice while working on a guided project offered by a suitable
organisation related to the field of fashion. The project could be in any operational or
functional areas related to the organisation ranging from marketing, merchandising, buying,
retailing, planning, visual merchandising, supply chain, value chain, market research,
marketing communication, exports, etc. The industry selected should be in the area of
apparel, textiles, footwear, jewellery, home furnishing, home decor/fashion, leather, lifestyle
accessories, beauty and wellness products, market research organisations, consulting firms,
handloom, and handicrafts. If a student is interested to pick up any area whose functions cut
across fashion and other sectors, a prior permission is required from the Chairperson of the
Department before pursuing the GRP.
Joint or Multiple Projects:
In case more students are working in one organisation/department and the scope of the
project is large, in that case two students can undertake the GRP jointly. However, this needs
a prior permission from the Department Committee at the Centre. Similarly, if the scope of
the project is limited, the student can undertake more than one project during the specified
period but with the same organisation with prior permission from the Faculty.

Role of Student and Department in Finding a GRP:

Finding a suitable GRP is primarily the work of the student. The student is required to keep in
touch with the alumni of NIFT and be independent in approaching suitable organisations
depending on the area of his/her interest. However, the student can always seek guidance
from CC at the centre, RIC, Faculty mentor and other faculty members whenever required.
The Department plays a role of a facilitator for the student in generating a right GRP. The
student in consultation with the Department should do prior research about the organisation
he/she is interested in, so that alternative opportunities can be assessed beforehand. The
student must look at the GRP as an opportunity that can fetch a PPO. It is well observed that,
students those who prove their knowledge and sincerity are always accepted for employment
in the same organisation through a PPO. Therefore this objective should be always kept in
mind to reduce pressure on the Placement Cell of NIFT and also to ensure a 100% placement
every season. This may be inculcated during the GRP briefing at the beginning of the 3rd
Semester that GRP is a gateway for final placement of the student.
In exceptional cases a student can take up independent GRP under the guidance of a faculty
at the centre. This may be related to a macro study of any area related to fashion, or market
research related to brands, consumers, retailers; studies related to intellectual property in
fashion, or in any functional area of fashion. The scope is much wider than described. In such
case, the student needs prior permission and approval from the CP-FMS based on the
recommendation of the Department Committee headed by CC at the centre.

Conduct and Data Collection:

The student should use the information and data pertaining to the project(s) undertaken by
her/him. The student should ensure that the data and other information used in the GRP report
is obtained with the permission of the institution concerned. The students should maintain a
high degree of integrity and ethics while working with the organisation. They must be
sincere, punctual, and honest in their work. Organisations do vary in their work culture,
therefore the students are required to understand the same and be adaptive to the
circumstances. For any disputes, misunderstanding while working in the organisation must be
informed to the faculty mentor for further guidance.
The GRP process involves working under the mentorship of an executive/Officer of the
concerned organisation (Industry Mentor) and also with a faculty member of the Department
in the respective centre (Faculty Mentor) where the student is studying. The student is
expected to first understand the organisation and its setting, its organisational structure, scale
and scope. Immediately after joining the organisation, the student is required to confirm the
project he/she would be working. In some cases, if the project is not confirmed, the student is
required to consult and convenience the Industry Mentor for confirmation of a project. In
case of a delay or any problem in getting a project, the student must inform the same to the
Faculty mentor at the centre. The faculty mentor must take initiatives to confirm a project(s)
in consultation with the industry mentor. Thereafter, the student is expected to concentrate on
the specific project(s) assigned, its objectives, its rationale, and adopt a methodology and
identify a suitable analysis procedure for the completion of the project. Wherever possible the
student may provide recommendations and action plans, along with the findings of the study.
Thereafter, the student should prepare a report under the guidance of both the mentors (at the
Centre and Industry) and submit a copy to the organisation. In some cases the student is
required to make a presentation before a team in the organisation. The student must prepare
the presentation under the guidance of the faculty mentor at the centre, then make the
presentation at the industry. The student is required to collect the certificate of completion of
GRP in the organisation's Letter Head with duly signed by the industry mentor/officer/HR
Manager along a company seal on it. The filled in feedback and evaluation form by the
Industry mentor be collected by the student in a sealed company envelope before leaving the
organization. The industry mentor may also send the same directly to the Faculty mentor by
registered courier/post. The students are required to report the Department on the specified
date as briefed to them by the Department. After reporting the students are required to work
on their report and presentation for the internal and external Jury at the centre. A copy of the
report which the student submitted in the organisation she/he worked for GRP would be
reviewed and formatted for corrections and necessary changes for the Internal and External
Jury. The student is required to submit three copies of the report in Spiral Bound for the
Internal Jury. After the comments and suggestions incorporated, in any, after the Internal Jury.
the student is required to submit three Hard Bound copies of the GRP report as per the given
format. All the GRP covers should be made in Black Cover with Golden Print (Format for the
Cover Page is attached). The GRP report.
Size of Report:
The size of GP report should not exceed 200 pages of typed matter from the first page of
Chapter 1 to the last page of the Appendix.
Arrangement of Contents of the Report:
The sequence in which the report should be arranged as follows:

1. Cover or Title page (Can add a blank transparent paper between the Hard cover and
Title page)
2. Declaration by the Student
3. Certificate of Authorship and Originality
4. Certificate by Industry Mentor
5. Certificate by the Department/Faculty Mentor
6. Acknowledgement
7. Executive Summary
8. Table of Contents
 9. List of Tables
10. List of Figures
11. List of Symbols, Abbreviations and Nomenclature
12. Chapters
13. References
14. Appendices

The Tables and Figures shall be introduced in the appropriate places.

5. PAGE DIMENSIONS AND MARGIN:

The dimensions of the final bound 3 copies of the report should be 290mm x 205mm.
Standard A4 size (297mm x 210mm) paper may be used for preparing the copies.
The Report (at the time of submission) should have the following page margins :
Top edge : 2cms
Bottom edge : 2cms
Left side : 3cms
Right side : 2cms

The report should be prepared on good quality white paper preferably not lower than 80 gsm.
Tables and figures should conform to the margin specifications.
Cover Page & Title Page A specimen copy of the Cover or Title page for GRP report are
given in Annexure I & II
Certificate from the Department– The Certificate from the Department (Faculty Mentor)
shall be in double line spacing using Font Style Times New Roman Font Size 12, as per the
format shown in Annexure III. The certificate shall carry the supervisor’s signature and shall
be followed by the mentor’s name, academic designation (not any other responsibilities of
administrative nature), department and full address of the institution where the supervisor has
guided the research scholar. The term ‘FACULTY MENTOR’ must be typed in capital
letters between the Mentor’s name and academic designation.
Acknowledgement – The acknowledgement shall be brief and should not exceed one
page when typed in 1.5 spacing. The scholar’s signature shall be made at the
bottom end above his / her name typed in capitals (Annexure-IV).
Table of Contents The table of contents should list all material following it as well as
any material which precedes it. The Title page, Certificates, Declaration and
Acknowledgment will not find a place among the items listed in the Table of
Contents but the page numbers in lower case Roman letters are to be accounted
for them. One and a half spacing should be adopted for typing the matter under
this head. A specimen copy of the Table Contents for report is given in Annexure
V.
 List of Table The list should use exactly the same captions as they appear above the
tables in the text. One and a half spacing should be adopted for typing the matter
under this head.
List of Figures The list should use exactly the same captions as they appear below the
figures in the text. One and a half spacing should be adopted for typing the matter
under this head.
List of Symbols, Abbreviations and Nomenclature One and a half spacing should be
adopted for typing the matter under this head. Standard symbols, abbreviations
etc. should be used.
Chapters The chapters may be broadly divided into 5 parts

1.Introduction
2.Review of Literature
3.Research Methodology
4.Data Analysis and Interpretation
5.Findings, Suggestions and Conclusion
● Tables and figures in a chapter should be placed in the immediate vicinity of the
reference where they are cited.
● Footnotes should be used sparingly. They should be typed single space and placed
directly underneath in the very same page, which refers to the material they annotate.

Appendices: Appendices are provided to give supplementary information, which if

included in the main text may serve as a distraction and cloud the central theme
under discussion.

● Appendices should be numbered using Arabic numerals, e.g. Appendix 1, Appendix

2, etc.
● Appendices, Tables and references appearing in appendices should be numbered and
referred to at appropriate places just as in the case of chapters.
● Appendices shall carry the title of the work reported and the same title shall be made
in the contents page also.

List of References Any works of other researchers, if used either directly or indirectly,
the origin of the material thus referred to at appropriate places in the report should
be indicated. A paper, a monograph or a book may be designated by the name of
the first author followed by the year of publication, placed inside brackets at the
appropriate places in the report should be indicated. A paper, a monograph or a
book may be designated by the name of the first author followed by the year of
publication, placed inside brackets at the appropriate place of reference. The
citation may assume any one of the following forms.
References – Follow the APA style of referencing
 Tables and Figures
* All tables and figures should be prepared on the same paper or material used
for the preparation of the rest of the report.
* Samples of Fabric, Leather, etc., if absolutely necessary may be attached
evenly in a page and fixed/pasted suitably and should be treated as figures.

NUMBERING INSTRUCTIONS
Page Numbering
All pages numbers (whether it be in Roman or Arabic numbers) should be typed without
punctuation in the center.at eh bottom of the page .The preliminary pages of the report (such
as Title page, Acknowledgement, Table of Contents etc.) should be numbered in lower case
Roman numerals. The title page will be numbered as (i) but this should not be typed. The
page immediately following the title page shall be numbered (ii) and it should appear at the
bottom right hand corner as already specified. Pages of main text, starting with Chapter 1
should be consecutively numbered using Arabic numerals.
Numbering of Chapters, Divisions and SubDivisions
The numbering of chapters, divisions and subdivisions should be done using Arabic numerals
only and further decimal notation should be used for numbering the divisions and
subdivisions within a chapter. For example subdivision 4 under division 3 belonging to
chapter 2 should be numbered as 2.3.4. The caption for the subdivision should immediately
follow the number assigned to it.
Every chapter beginning with the first chapter should be serially numbered using Arabic
numerals. Appendices included should also be numbered in an identical manner starting with
Appendix 1.
Numbering of Tables and Figures
Tables and Figures appearing anywhere in the report should bear appropriate numbers. The
rule for assigning such numbers is illustrated through an example. Thus, if a figure in Chapter
3, happens to be the fourth then assign 3.4 to that figure. Identical rules apply for tables
except that the word Figure is replaced by the word Table. If figures (or tables) appear in
appendices then figure 3 in Appendix 2 will be designated as Figure A 2.3. If a table to be
continued into the next page this may be done, but no line should be drawn underneath an
unfinished table. The top line of the table continued into the next page should, for example
read Table 2.1 (continued) placed centrally and underlined.