The Footwear Design and Development Institute held its 5th Convocation Ceremony at its Hyderabad campus, marking a significant academic milestone for the Batch of 2025 and underscoring the institute’s growing contribution to India’s footwear, leather and fashion ecosystem.
Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy attended the ceremony as Chief Guest and addressed the graduating students, faculty and industry representatives. In his convocation address, he highlighted India’s accelerating progress in manufacturing, innovation and skill development, noting that sectors such as footwear and leather are playing a crucial role in employment generation, export growth and the expansion of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
He emphasized that the footwear and leather sector remains a key driver of job creation, particularly for youth and women, while contributing meaningfully to the country’s export basket. He encouraged graduates to integrate technology, sustainability and design innovation into their professional pursuits, stating that these pillars will strengthen India’s global competitiveness in high value manufacturing and creative industries.
Vivek Sharma, Managing Director of FDDI, congratulated the graduating students and reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to nurturing globally competent professionals. He urged the students to uphold innovation, sustainability, ethical practices and design thinking as foundational principles in their careers. He noted that FDDI continues to align its academic programmes with evolving industry needs and international benchmarks.
The ceremony commenced with a welcome address by Tej Lohit Reddy, Executive Director of FDDI Hyderabad, who outlined the steady growth of the Hyderabad campus since its establishment in 2018. He highlighted the development of a Centre of Excellence, state of the art laboratories and strengthened collaborations with industry partners, which have enhanced the institute’s academic and research capabilities.
The Batch of 2025 comprised 72 graduating students from programmes in Fashion Design, Footwear Design, Leather Goods and Accessories Design and Management. Degrees were formally conferred upon the graduates in the presence of dignitaries, faculty members, industry representatives and parents. The convocation oath was administered as part of the ceremony.
Gold and silver medals were awarded to meritorious students in recognition of academic excellence and outstanding performance. The awards reflected the institute’s emphasis on merit, discipline and professional standards.
Speakers at the event noted that FDDI continues to contribute to the footwear, leather, fashion and retail ecosystem through skill development, research, innovation and industry engagement. The institute remains focused on promoting sustainable manufacturing practices, entrepreneurship and adherence to global quality standards in design and production.
The convocation ceremony concluded with a collective commitment to advancing innovation driven growth in the footwear and fashion sectors, reinforcing FDDI’s role as a key institution in shaping India’s design and manufacturing future.
