Delhi University’s Campus of Open Learning (COL) has introduced a certification course in nail art, for the first time ever. With beauty, fashion and aesthetics gaining momentum in everyday life as well as social media accounts filled with videos decoding the latest beauty trends, this seems like the perfect excuse to upskill while flaunting one’s passion for nail fashion.
The month-long certification course in Nail Art Training is a win-win as applicants wanting to enrol need to have a qualification of just class X final marksheet.
First-of-its-kind skill course
“The nail care and nail art industry is booming right now,” says Payal Mago, director, COL, explaining, “This is a very unique course and also in good time since nail art is an upcoming arm of the beauty industry. So this course will definitely provide better employment opportunities to a lot of youngsters especially girls and women who are interested in learning this art in a systematic format. The whole point of such skill-based courses is to upskill the students to become independent.”
Adding that there is currently a large market for trained nail artists, Mago shares, “Whenever you go to a mall or a good salon or outlet, there are always long lines of potential customers, waiting to get their nails! Not just in metro cities, and in fact India, but also in Europe and abroad, there is a great demand for nails. And it is a costly thing. One set of nails is easily priced at approximately 5,000 or more, with a high rate of returning clients. And usually, very elite places have good artistes. That’s what we want for our students: good employment conditions.”
Fees and eligibility
{{/usCountry}}Fees and eligibility
{{/usCountry}}The one-month certification course costs ₹3,000. Aspirants from across the country are eligible to enrol, provided they have passed their Class X in any stream. Must note: the last date to register for this course is August 1, 2026.
But do not make the mistake of thinking that it’s going to be a cakewalk. “It will be a very comprehensive course with a 100% hands-on experience. For most efficiency, it will be a small batch with no more than 15 students in one class,” adds Mago.
#CareerGoals
One among those planning to register for this course is Ameesha, a 21-year-old resident of Delhi’s Dilshad Garden. She shares how she learnt nail art as a school student by watching YouTube tutorials, and later began doing nails for friends to earn extra pocket money.
“Usually during festive times, I get a lot of requests from my friends’ relatives, my neighbours, and their circle through word-of-mouth. I have my kit, and either call them to my house or go to their house,” she tells us, adding, “But now, I think I may want to make a career out of it. If I go to the local salons, they always say, ‘Who is your trainer?’ or ‘Where did you do the course?’ But I learnt it on my own! I am talented, but not hireable right now. Once I have a certificate, this will become more than a hobby, and into an actual job and career for me! I come from a very traditional and conservative family, and I want to become the first to be financially independent.”
Salon owners elated
Entrepreneur Radhika Soni, 30, who has four nail and lash studios across Delhi and also runs an academy, calls DU’s move “a great way to empower women and promote financial independence”. She adds, “I have a total of 19 nail artists in my employ across my studios. We also have three interns right now, who are all highly trained and have done ISO-ISI certification courses. DU’s course is important because it gives the students instant recognition as professionals. It is very rare for self-taught artists to get their due. I’d be lying if I said self-taught artists never get hired, but they would have to be exceptionally talented, which, frankly speaking, is seldom found! I am excited for the new batch of nail artists to graduate. I will definitely hire the kids from DU!”
Industry’s future looks bright
The nail salon market size is expected to grow to $19.34 billion globally in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3%, according to global market research store Research and Markets. This is attributed to the growing influence of social media beauty trends, rising demand for personalised beauty experiences, and growing adoption of online appointment platforms. Stating that India is a key market, a report by Research and Markets adds that the Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the nail salon market in 2025. According to market research and advisory firm Technavio, India is a key country for the rapidly growing market, joining the US, Canada, Mexico, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, China, Japan, and South Korea.
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