The present study focuses on synthesizing a composite material comprising of nickel ferrite and carbon derived from cotton, to exhibit exceptional microwave absorption capabilities over a wide frequency range. By adopting a mechanical alloy method, the microwave-absorbing composite is developed. The microwave absorption characteristics of the developed composites are further unearthly in terms of their permittivity and permeability. Combining magnetic and dielectric phases produces better eddy current loss and polarization, which are primarily responsible for absorption characteristics. The developed composites are cast into rectangular pallets to evaluate microwave absorption characteristics and examined using a vector network analyzer within the 8.2–12.4 GHz frequency range. With a pallet thickness of 2.55 mm, the entire X-band frequency is effectively covered, yielding a remarkable minimum reflection loss of −20.46 dB at 10.01 GHz. The current work's findings, owing to the synergistic combination of nickel ferrite and carbonized carbon provide a practical approach for developing a hybrid material with remarkable electromagnetic performance. Display omitted •The composite comprising of both magnetic and non-magnetic phases has been developed with the mechanical alloying method.•Impedance matching characteristics of the developed lightweight NCF tailored effectively with varying weight percentages.•Achieved minimum reflection loss of −20.46 dB for NCF25 composition at 10.01 GHz with 2.55 mm coating thickness.