Celebrating 63 Years Of Excellence: IIFT Marks Foundation Day With New Milestones And Digital Transformation

New Delhi, May 2, 2026: The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), an autonomous body under Ministry of Commerce and Industry, celebrated its 63rd Foundation Day with enthusiasm and pride, marking another significant milestone in the institution’s distinguished journey in international business education, research, and policy advocacy.

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, extended his heartfelt congratulations to IIFT through a special message on social media, applauding the institute’s continued excellence in shaping India’s international trade and management landscape. He highlighted IIFT’s role as a premier institution contributing to policy, research, and capacity building in global trade.

Commerce Secretary, Shri Rajesh Agrawal, congratulated IIFT and hailed institute’s remarkable growth. He noted that IIFT has consistently contributed to India’s global trade ambitions through high-quality education, research, and policy engagement. He highlighted that Its growing presence across four campuses—New Delhi, Kolkata, Kakinada, and GIFT City—reflects its evolving global outlook and commitment to excellence. IIFT’s role in building future leaders in international business remains invaluable. He also added, the institute has taken several new initiatives and made impressive strides in the recent years in creating a conducive eco-system for academics and research, much deeper and consistent alumni engagement, rapid growth and expansion to GIFT city and Kakinada campus.

Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, NBA and NETF, and Chief Guest emphasized the importance of offering multilingual courses to expand the reach and accessibility of quality education across diverse regions of the country. In the current VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) world, he highlighted that the education imparted by IIFT is increasingly relevant in preparing future leaders to navigate dynamic global business challenges. He appreciated IIFT’s progressive vision and expressed his happiness at witnessing the institute’s expansion across all four directions of India with campuses in Delhi, Kolkata, GIFT City, and Kakinada, reflecting its growing national presence and inclusivity.

Prof. Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Vice Chancellor, IIFT reflected on the institute’s remarkable journey and its transformative growth during recent years. Prof. Joshi underlined the institute’s rising academic and research stature through the successful hosting of five major academic and research conferences, including IIFT’s first-ever Vice-Chancellors’ Conclave 2026 on Internationalisation of Higher Education in India. He further highlighted the launch of Pitch Perfect Australia–India Business Compendium under IIFT’s Case Research Centre, advancing IIFT’s vision of fostering research-led innovation, experiential learning, and globally benchmarked case research.

A key highlight of the event was the launch of the new IIFT website, aimed at enhancing user experience, accessibility, and digital engagement for students, faculty, researchers, and stakeholders.

In a special ceremony, IIFT felicitated Lt. Col. Trivedi Paragkumar, an IIFT student, on being conferred the Vishisht Seva Medal, recognizing his exemplary service and accomplishment.

The celebration further included classsical cultural performances, followed by a ceremony honouring retired employees and staff members completing 25 years of service at the institute.

About IIFT

Established in 1963, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is a premier institution engaged in education, training, and research in international business. The institute has consistently contributed to building capacity in international trade and business management in India and beyond.