New Delhi, March 25: India has achieved a significant milestone in global education, more than doubling its presence in the top 50 of the QS World University Rankings by Subject. According to the 16th annual edition released on Wednesday by London-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds, Indian institutions earned 27 top-50 positions across various disciplines, a sharp rise from the 12 recorded in 2024.
The rankings, which evaluated over 21,000 academic programmes across 1,900 universities worldwide, highlighted the growing competitiveness of the Indian higher education system. Among the elite performers are the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Bombay, Kharagpur, Madras, and Delhi, alongside Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani.
Leading the national tally in specific subjects, the Indian School of Mines (ISM) University, Dhanbad, secured the 21st position globally for Mineral and Mining Engineering. Similarly, IIM Ahmedabad maintained its excellence by ranking 21st in Business and Management Studies and Marketing. Notably, this year marked India’s debut in the global Marketing rankings.
“India’s rise this year is not just about scale: it’s about momentum in quality and global competitiveness,” stated Jessica Turner, CEO of QS Quacquarelli Symonds. She affirmed that the improvement across engineering and business sectors signals a system accelerating with intent. Turner maintained that the next phase for these institutions will involve deepening research strength and expanding global partnerships.
IIT Delhi emerged as a standout performer in this edition, recording six entries in the top 50. The institute leads the country in four categories, including Electrical and Electronic Engineering, where it ranks 36th, and Chemical Engineering, which marked its first appearance in the top 50 at 48th. It also secured the 45th spot globally in Computer Science.
