MUMBAI: The QS World University Rankings by Subject now include a total of 69 Indian universities, marking a 19.4% increase from the previous year’s 355 entries. This year, 72% of Indian entries on the list are new, improved, or maintained their positions, while 18% experienced a decline. Noteworthy institutions such as JNU, IIT-Bombay, and IIT-Madras are among the highest ranked in India.
In Asia, India ranks second in university representation with 69 institutions, following China (101), and holds the fourth position in subject entries after China, Japan, and South Korea. Leading the pack are DU with 30 entries, followed by IIT-B with 28, and IIT-Kharagpur with 27 entries.
India has emerged as the fourth-largest research producer globally, with 1.3 million academic papers published in 2023-24. This places India behind China (4.5m), the US (4.4m), and the UK (1.4m), as per the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject. The rankings encompass a comprehensive evaluation of over 16,400 university programs across 1,500 universities in 95 countries, covering 56 academic disciplines and five faculty areas.
India’s educational landscape has shown a significant 17% year-on-year improvement, reflecting the country’s commitment to enhancing tertiary education quality amidst rising demand. Notably, India’s research performance has seen advancements in various indicators, including a 20% improvement in citations per paper and a 16% growth in international research network collaborations. While India’s research output has surged by 54% from 2017 to 2022, surpassing many Western counterparts, the focus now shifts to prioritizing impactful research dissemination within the academic community.
The future looks promising for India as a burgeoning research hub, with the potential to surpass established players like the UK in research productivity. As India continues on this trajectory, emphasis on high-quality research and its dissemination will be crucial for sustained growth and global recognition.