Seven Indian institutions have secured positions within the top 100 of theQS Asia University Rankings 2025 . The rankings, announced on Tuesday by London-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), highlight India’s growing presence in regional higher education. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi retained its status as the top Indian institute for the fifth consecutive year, ranking 59th overall in Asia.
Alongside IIT-Delhi, other Indian institutions recognized in the top 100 include IIT-Madras, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Kharagpur, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, and Delhi University.
India’s Overall Performance and Volatility
India significantly expanded its representation in the 2025 rankings, with a total of 130 Indian universities now listed. This marks a substantial increase in visibility for the nation’s higher education sector. Globally, 20 Indian institutions ranked in the top 200, and 66 featured within the top 500 across Asia.
However, this expansion brought volatility to individual institutional rankings. Compared to the previous year, 36 Indian institutes saw an improvement in their position, while 16 maintained their previous rank. A larger number, 105 institutions, experienced a drop in their rankings. QS attributed this fluctuation to the increased breadth of the assessment.
Key Indicators: Research and Faculty Excellence
India demonstrates strong performance in specific ranking indicators, particularly ‘Papers per Faculty’ and ‘Staff with PhD’. India leads Asia in the ‘Papers per Faculty’ category, with five universities ranking among the top 10 and 28 in the top 50. This performance more than doubles China’s representation in the same top 50 bracket.
The country also features 46 universities in the top 100 for ‘Papers per Faculty’ and 45 in the top 100 for ‘Staff with PhD’, positioning it ahead of South Korea, which has 15 institutions in the latter category.
Top Performers in ‘Papers per Faculty’
Leading India’s research output, the following institutions ranked highly in the ‘Papers per Faculty’ indicator:
| Rank in Asia | Institution |
|---|---|
| 1st | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal |
| 2nd | Bharathiar University |
| 3rd | Indian Institute of Science (IISc) |
| 5th | Anna University |
| 7th | Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras |
Leading Institutions for ‘Staff with PhD’
In the ‘Staff with PhD’ indicator, several Indian institutions achieved high ranks, underscoring significant investment in faculty development:
- Joint 2nd: National Institute of Technology (NIT) Nagaland, Mother Teresa Women’s University
- Joint 4th: Indian Institute of Science (IISc), IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bhubaneswar, IIT Patna, IIT Ropar, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Kancheepuram
Assessing India’s Higher Education Transformation
QS CEO Jessica Turner commented on India’s performance, stating, “India’s higher education transformation is now visible in the data. In just five years since the National Education Policy launched, India has built system-level capacity that is globally relevant and locally empowering.”
Turner added that the entry of over 130 Indian universities into this year’s Asia Rankings signals both depth and breadth in the sector. She highlighted India’s positioning as a global knowledge leader, shaping innovation and sustainable growth across Asia as its research ecosystems mature and international partnerships expand.
The QS World University Rankings: Asia evaluates universities using 11 tailored indicators. These indicators reflect the region’s specific nuances, differentiating it from the broader QS World University Rankings.