VisionNxt: Modernizing Fashion Forecasting In India With AI And EI
The National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Mumbai, hosted a landmark event on January 8, 2025, at Nishta Bhavan, Churchgate, Mumbai, to spotlight VisionNxt, India’s first AI and EI-driven fashion forecasting platform. Developed under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, VisionNxt’s innovative approach integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and emotional intelligence (EI) to provide cutting-edge research and trend insights tailored to India’s diverse fashion and retail market.
A Game-Changer for Indian Fashion
VisionNxt, an initiative by NIFT, delivers a unique forecasting system that addresses the complexity of India’s fashion landscape. Its core mission is to empower designers, brands, retailers, artisans, and weavers by anticipating and responding to evolving consumer needs. The platform also offers academic courses, workshops, and consulting services, emphasizing the principles and methodologies of trend forecasting in the Indian context.
Prof. Dr. Sharmila J. Dua, Director of NIFT Mumbai, highlighted the transformative impact of VisionNxt on the Indian fashion industry. She praised its flagship bilingual trend book, Paridhi 24×25, and the Indigenous AI deep learning model that drives the platform. “Through collaborative research and innovation, VisionNxt empowers the industry with data-driven insights while celebrating India’s unique fashion identity,” she stated.
Textile Commissioner Roop Rashi emphasized the platform’s inclusive and democratized approach to trend forecasting. “VisionNxt bridges traditional craftsmanship with modern market needs, fostering sustainable growth and elevating India’s cultural identity on a global scale,” she said. Highlighting its advanced tools, such as AI-based image recognition and predictive analytics, she added that these technologies analyze consumer behavior, age group preferences, and emerging design patterns. With over 20,000 downloads since its launch in September 2024, VisionNxt is already making waves in the industry.
Achievements and Contributions
VisionNxt has achieved remarkable milestones, including:
• Delivering over 60 micro trend reports and 10+ close-to-season trend reports.
• Publishing 3+ research papers, an e-magazine, a youth trend report, a mindset book, and India’s first AI taxonomy book covering 75 Indian wear categories.
• Developing a comprehensive dataset of over 70,000 primary apparel images and 280,000 secondary images, enabling pattern identification in apparel attributes like style, color, and regional influences.
Empowering Stakeholders
VisionNxt brings value across the fashion ecosystem:
• Designers: Ensures their ideas retain Indian aesthetics during production.
• Machinists: Provides detailed, craft-specific instructions for seamless execution.
• Businesses: Enhances efficiency, reduces errors, and boosts global competitiveness.
The initiative has also trained over 800 students in trend spotting, empowering them through active involvement in data collection. The platform’s India-specific AI taxonomy, trained on 1.5 lakh images and tagged with culturally relevant terms, achieves 86% accuracy in distinguishing between garments like Benarasi sarees, Kanjeevaram sarees, lehengas, and skirts.
Vision for the Future
By reducing dependence on global forecasting agencies, VisionNxt positions India as a leader in fashion trend forecasting. The platform integrates the country’s strengths in IT and textiles, merging artificial and human intelligence to enhance the visibility of Indian fashion on the global stage.
With its focus on celebrating India’s cultural heritage while driving innovation, VisionNxt exemplifies how AI and EI can transform the fashion industry, creating sustainable growth and empowering every stakeholder in the ecosystem.
