A major investment in home textiles education is opening new opportunities for students at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. The Dalal Family Foundation has endowed the Dalal Family Global Field Study Scholarship Program, funding annual international field experiences for the next generation of home products professionals.
Scholarship Program at a Glance
The program funds faculty-led international travel covering the full product lifecycle — from concept and development through to sourcing and manufacturing. Students gain direct exposure to both U.S. and international home products markets.
Up to 10 students per year from FIT's Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology will receive scholarship support. Participants will visit trade exhibitions, showrooms, and active manufacturing sites as part of their learning experience.
Inaugural Cohort Heads to Heimtextil 2027
The first group of Dalal scholars will travel to Frankfurt, Germany in January 2027. Their destination is Heimtextil, the international home and contract textiles trade fair — a leading global event in the home textiles industry calendar.
Beyond the exhibition floor, students will join guided visits to showrooms and production facilities. These immersive sessions connect classroom knowledge directly to real-world sourcing and manufacturing decisions.
A Foundation Built on Industry Experience
Nayan Dalal founded the Dalal Family Foundation in 1997, more than 35 years after moving from Mumbai to the United States to pursue his MBA. In 1992, he established TLI Home — a New Jersey-based home textile import company with offices in New York, Mumbai, and Shanghai.
TLI Home today produces private label home textiles and home décor products across global markets. The company's international footprint directly informs the scholarship's global scope and industry focus.
"Experiences like these take learning beyond the classroom and into the real world, where students can see how ideas become products and how innovation is shaped through global collaboration," Dalal said. He added that the program aims to inspire students to "think bigger, dream bolder and pursue their goals with confidence."
Shannon Maher, dean of FIT's Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology, originally introduced the program idea to Dalal. FIT President Jason S. Schupbach praised the Dalal family as "true champions of the value of education" and highlighted the scholarship's role in preparing graduates for a competitive global economy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for the Dalal Family Global Field Study Scholarship?
Students enrolled in FIT's Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology are eligible. Up to 10 students per year receive funding for the annual international field study experience focused on the global home products industry.
Where does the inaugural scholarship trip take place?
The first cohort travels to Frankfurt, Germany in January 2027 to attend Heimtextil, the international home and contract textiles trade fair. Students also participate in guided visits to industry showrooms and manufacturing facilities.
What is TLI Home's connection to the scholarship?
TLI Home is a private label home textiles and home décor company founded by Nayan Dalal in 1992, with offices in New York, Mumbai, and Shanghai. Dalal's decades of industry experience through TLI Home directly inspired the scholarship's emphasis on real-world, global field learning.
Initiatives like the Dalal scholarship reflect a growing movement in textile industry education: established industry leaders and top institutions are partnering to equip graduates with global competencies from day one. Companies and professionals tracking talent development in home textiles can explore related coverage in textilezon's Info Center.
