New Delhi [India], June 19 : With Indian Higher Educational Institutes (HEIs) witnessing an"'unprecedented" five-fold rise in the QS global university rankings, with 54 institutions from the country featuring in the 2026 list, up from 11 in 2014, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday said that such a jump is a "testament to the transformative educational reforms ushered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
The Union Minister underlined that India has the "fastest growing education system" among the G20 countries, and the fourth most represented, only behind the United States, United Kingdom, and China.
"With a record 54 HEIs featuring among the global best, India hits a new high in the QS World University 2026 Rankings. From just 11 universities in 2014 to 54 in the latest rankings, this five-fold jump is a testament to the transformative educational reforms ushered by PM Narendra Modi govt. in the last decade. NEP 2020 is not just changing our educational landscape, it is revolutionising it," Pradhan mentioned in a post on X.
Pradhan also added that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is not only changing the country's educational landscape but also revolutionising it.
https://x.com/dpradhanbjp/status/1935546508616614344
"Matter of immense pride that India is also the fastest growing education system among G20 countries and the fourth most represented behind only the U.S. UK and China. Confident that with NEP's thrust on research, innovation and internationalisation, more Indian HEIs will scale global excellence in the times ahead," the minister said in his post.
According to QS World University Rankings 2026, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has emerged as the country's top-ranked institution, securing the 123rd spot globally -- a jump of 27 places from last year's position of 150.
IIT Bombay and IIT Madras followed at 129th and 180th, respectively. Notably, IIT Madras entered the global top 200 for the first time.
The rankings, released by global higher education analysts QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), cover over 1,500 universities from 106 countries and territories. India is now the fourth most represented country, behind only the United States (192), the United Kingdom (90), and Mainland China (72).
"This year, India has added the most new universities to the QS rankings, with eight fresh entrants. It's a clear sign of a system evolving at both speed and scale," said Jessica Turner, CEO of QS. "India is rewriting the global higher education map."
IIT Delhi performed strongly in several indicators, ranking 50th globally in Employer Reputation, 86th in Citations per Faculty, and 142nd in Academic Reputation. Five Indian universities are now among the global top 100 in Employer Reputation, including IIT Bombay and IIT Kanpur.