Welcoming the improvement in Indian institution’s ranking, Prime Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to furthering research and innovation ecosystems in India’s educational institutions.
- QS World University Rankings, published annually by London-based global higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds.
Key insights from QS World University Ranking 2026
- India has 54 universities in the Rankings, making it fourth (after the US, the UK, and China) most represented country.
- IIT Delhi, India’s top ranked institution, ranked 123rd globally, rising from 150th in 2025.
- Five Indian institutions feature in the global top 100 for Employer Reputation, reflecting strong industry confidence in Indian graduates.
- Eight Indian universities rank among the world’s top 100 for Citations per Faculty.
About India’s R&D Ecosystem
- India secured 39th position (among 133 global economies) in Global Innovation Index 2024.
- Concerns with India’s R&D Ecosystem
- Low R&D funding: R&D expenditure as percentage of GDP is 0.64%. (2020-21)
- Inadequate Private Sector participation: Private Sector contributed only 36.4% of the Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) during 2020–21.
- Sub-optimal Industry-Academia convergence: Poor transformation rate of technologies developed in Indian labs for the larger good of the society.
- Brain Drain: Due to lure of superior infrastructure, research facilities, etc., in developed countries.
Key initiatives to promote R&D in India
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