NIFT Shillong started its humble beginning from June, 2008, from its transit campus situated in the Old North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (Old NEIGRIHMS Campus), NIFT as a Institute is a pioneer in envisioning and evolving fashion business education in the country, and this endeavour saw opening of four New Centers in 2008. Shillong being one of them. NIFT now has a network of Eighteen professionally managed domestic centres at Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Daman, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Kangra, Kannur, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Panchkula, Patna, Raebareli, Shillong and Srinagar.

The institute boasts of a very close contact with the intellectual art and design sect of the society all over the country. Due to the advantage of being one of the pioneer institutions coming in the state, the institute is now very well networked to satisfy the academic requirements of NIFT at Shillong. The Centre is currently offering Four Undergraduate 4 Years courses - Fashion Design, Accessory Design, Fashion Communication and Textile Design and One Post Graduate Two years course - Master of Fashion Management. The institute portrays itself as a leader in fashion education in the state. NIFT Shillong has committed itself in exploring growth paradigms and to act like a catalyst in formulating the structural roadmap for the apparel and allied industry. NIFT Shillong is looking forward to contribute towards upliftment of the craftsmen through workshops and design intervention.