IIT Delhi retained its position as India’s top-ranked university in the QS World University Rankings 2027, while India’s representation in the global rankings rose to 52 institutions.
Photo: IANS
A record 52 Indian universities have found a place in the QS World University Rankings 2027, with IIT Delhi retaining the top spot among institutions from the country.
The latest rankings place IIT Delhi at 118th position globally. The ranking equals the highest position ever achieved by an Indian institution in the QS World University Rankings. India is now the fifth most represented higher education system in the world, with its number of ranked universities rising from 14 in 2017 to 52 this year.
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The rankings show a mixed but largely positive performance for Indian institutions. Twenty-six universities improved their positions, nine maintained their previous ranking, and 15 slipped. Two institutions entered the rankings for the first time.
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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attributed the performance to reforms introduced under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“India’s strong performance in the latest global university rankings reflects the transformative impact of NEP 2020, with 52 universities across 19 states and union territories now represented and more than half improving their positions. As institutions such as IIT Delhi achieve record-high rankings, India is emerging as a leading global knowledge hub, driven by research, innovation and the talent of its youth,” he said.
Pradhan said the progress across both public and private institutions points to the growth of a more diverse and globally competitive higher education ecosystem.
Among Indian universities, IIT Bombay secured the 134th position globally. IIT Madras ranked 170th, IIT Kharagpur stood at 205th, and IIT Kanpur was placed at 221st. The University of Delhi improved to 322nd place, while Jamia Millia Islamia climbed to 686th.
The rankings indicate that improvements are no longer limited to the Indian Institutes of Technology.
A total of 18 Indian universities achieved their highest-ever positions this year. These include Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, BITS Pilani, VIT, Chandigarh University and Shoolini University.
Thirteen of the institutions that recorded their best-ever performance are outside the IIT system, suggesting wider growth across India’s higher education landscape.
Some of the biggest gains came from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), which jumped 94 places to 597th globally. BITS Pilani climbed 93 positions to 575th, while Jamia Millia Islamia improved by more than 75 places to reach 686th.
The report highlights gains in research impact and employer perception.
Eleven Indian universities now feature among the world’s top 100 institutions for Citations per Faculty. Six Indian universities are among the global top 100 for Employer Reputation.
According to the report, India now has the world’s third-largest research output base.
However, the rankings also point to continuing challenges. International student enrolment and international faculty representation remain weak areas for many Indian institutions. Academic reputation and globalisation indicators also require improvement.
Jessica Turner said India’s universities will play a major role in the country’s long-term development.
“As India advances towards its Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, its universities will be among the institutions that shape the country’s future most profoundly. Their contribution extends beyond classrooms and campuses. They are developing talent, ideas and discoveries that will underpin economic growth, technological leadership and social progress,” she said.
Turner added that growing investments in talent, research and innovation are increasingly translating into stronger international visibility for Indian institutions.
The QS World University Rankings 2027 assessed more than 1,500 universities across 106 countries and territories.
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