Staff Reporter / New Delhi
India has registered a historic performance in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with a record-breaking 54 Indian institutions making it to the prestigious global list — the highest ever for the country. IIT Delhi has emerged as India’s top-ranked institution, climbing to 123rd position globally, a major leap from its previous rank of 150. This marks the best-ever QS ranking achieved by the premier engineering institute.
The latest edition of the rankings, released by UK-based global higher education analyst QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), evaluates thousands of institutions across the world on parameters such as academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, research output, and international outlook.
Five-Fold Jump in a Decade: Education Minister Credits Reforms
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hailed the rankings as a reflection of India’s growing academic excellence. In a social media post, he noted that India’s presence in the QS rankings has surged from just 11 institutions in 2014 to 54 in 2026, marking a nearly fivefold growth in just over a decade.
He credited the progress to the transformative reforms implemented under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, particularly highlighting the impact of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“The NEP is not just reshaping India’s education system, it is revolutionising it,” the Minister said.
India Among Global Leaders in Higher Education
India now ranks as the fourth most represented country in the QS Rankings, behind only the United States, United Kingdom, and China, and is the fastest-growing education system among G20 nations.
The rise in global rankings is seen as a strong indicator of India’s enhanced global academic footprint, greater emphasis on research, innovation, internationalisation, and robust government-academia collaboration.
What the Rankings Signal
- Increased international visibility of Indian institutions
- Improved global perception of Indian research and teaching quality
- Rising interest from international students and faculty
- Enhanced competitiveness of Indian universities in attracting global partnerships and funding
As Indian institutions continue to climb global rankings, the momentum is expected to further elevate India’s status as a global education hub, attracting talent and collaboration from across the world.
