- Four IITs, JNU, and BITS Pilani ranked in the top 50 across disciplines in QS rankings
- India has 27 top 50 entries, more than double the 12 recorded in 2024 from 12 institutions
- IIT-ISM Dhanbad and IIM Ahmedabad lead India globally at 21st in mining and business studies
Four Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), along with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, have secured positions in the top 50 across disciplines, according to the latest QS World University rankings announced on Wednesday (March 25).
India now has 27 top 50 entries, which is more than double the 12 recorded in 2024, with 12 institutions contributing to this rise, signalling both scale and improved performance at the top end.
Leading India's performance are the Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, both ranked 21st globally.
IIT-ISM Dhanbad continues to dominate mineral and mining engineering, while IIM Ahmedabad has secured the same rank in business and management studies and marketing, marking India's first-ever appearance in the marketing subject rankings.
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Among those featuring in the global top 50 are Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and Indian Institute of Technology Madras, alongside JNU and BITS Pilani, indicating a broader spread of high-performing institutions.
A standout showing comes from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, which has delivered one of the most comprehensive performances by any Indian institution this year. It has six top-50 entries, leads India in four subjects, including chemical engineering (48th, its first top-50 appearance), electrical and electronic engineering (36th), mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing engineering (44th, its best in over a decade), and the engineering and technology broad area (36th), and ranks second nationally in computer science at 45th.
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The rankings, released by London-based QS Quacquarelli Symonds, benchmark more than 21,000 academic programmes across nearly 1,900 universities in over 100 countries, spanning 55 disciplines and five broad faculty areas.
"India's rise this year is not just about scale: it's about momentum in quality and global competitiveness. The breadth of improvement across engineering, technology and business signals a system that is accelerating with intent," said Jessica Turner, CEO of QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
"The next phase will be defined by how effectively institutions deepen research strength, build global partnerships, and sharpen their distinctiveness on the world stage."
