Prof. Dr. Toolika Gupta

Prof. Dr. Toolika Gupta is Director of the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design (IICD), she is a researcher and educator in the fields of crafts and design. She holds a Ph.D. in History of Arts (Dress and Textiles) from the University of Glasgow, UK, and an M.Sc. in Textiles and Clothing from Lady Irwin College, New Delhi. Her academic journey also includes a Ph.D. fellowship with the Textile Research Center, Copenhagen, and a specialized course in Archaeological Textiles at the University of Oxford. Beginning her career as a designer in 1996, she transitioned into education as a faculty member at NIFT, New Delhi, where she contributed to shaping the future of design education in India. She later engaged as visiting faculty at NID and Pearl Academy before moving further into research. In 2016, recognizing the importance of indigenous research and its accessibility, she co-founded the Textiles and Clothing Research Centre (TCRC), New Delhi, where she continues to serve as Secretary.