New Delhi–National Institute of Design (NID), Kurukshetra, will begin its academic session from 2016-17, as part of a measure to help making India a hub for world class designing, an official statement said on Thursday.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has given approval to begin the academic session 2016-17 for NID Kurukshetra, a ministry statement said.

NID, Vijayawada has already commenced its academic session last year, the statement said, adding that Sitharaman has approved setting up of four new NIDs at Hyderabad, Goa, Varanasi and Jaipur.

“The aim is to establish India as a hub for world class designing, and the NIDs shall play a crucial role by providing the skills to empower our human capital towards world class designing,” the statement said.

In September last year, the union cabinet had approved the creation of four posts of directors for the four new NIDs at Kurukshetra (Haryana), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Jorhat (Assam) and Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh).

The cabinet had already approved financial implications including salaries, for setting up of these new NIDs in its meeting held in February 2014.

One of the components of the Action Plan for implementation of the National Design Policy, approved by the cabinet in 2007 is the setting up of four more institutes on the pattern of NID, Ahmedabad.