A deeper look at the QS rankings

The QS World University Rankings use a comprehensive approach that takes into account far more than research performance. Another important factor is employability, which reveals the extent to which graduates manage to find employment and accomplish their career goals, besides other factors used to assess a university’s performance.

To compile the 2025 edition, QS analysts studied a huge dataset, including 17 million research papers, data from more than 5,600 institutions worldwide and 176 million citations. Additionally, insights from a collective pool of 175,798 academics and 105,476 employers were included.

Indian institutions shine in research output

Leading the charge in India’s university ascent are the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). IIT Bombay climbed 31 spots to reach 118th place globally. Similarly, IIT Delhi leapt 47 positions, landing at 150th globally. This cements the IITs’ position as world-class institutions and showcases India’s growing strength in research and development.

The country’s ascent extends beyond the QS World University Rankings. The QS Asia Rankings offer a further confirmation of the country’s progress. With a record-breaking 148 universities featured in the 2025 edition, India surpasses both China (133 universities) and Japan (96 universities) in regional representation. This dominance reflects India’s growing influence in academic research across the continent. Notably, as many as 13 Indian universities now rank among the top 200 globally for research output. This includes institutions like Anna University and the Indian Institute of Science, which are consistently recognised for their research contributions.

According to Dr Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities, an organisation of major universities in India, “India’s exceptional growth in the QS World University Rankings stands as a testament to its unwavering dedication to higher education excellence. The remarkable achievement from 11 universities in 2015 to 46 in 2025 edition highlights the country’s commitment to excellence in academics and research. Indian universities are now paying more attention to research both in quality and quantity.”

The Institutes of Eminence have been leading the country’s research achievements. Six of India’s 10 most productive research institutions are public Institutes of Eminence, a scheme launched in 2017 to enhance the capabilities of Indian universities. “These 11 public and private institutes have collectively produced 150,000 academic papers, gathered 1.4 million citations, and achieved an average research growth rate of 35% since 2017,” says Sowter.

India has become one of the world’s fastest-growing research hubs, with a 58 percent increase in research output between 2018 and 2023, more than double the global average. “Although China has outpaced India by about 10 percent over this period, more recent data from 2020 to 2023 shows China’s growth only 2 percent ahead, indicating a narrowing gap. In 2023, India surpassed the UK to become the world’s third most prolific producer of academic research. However, challenges remain in generating high-impact research, with India ranking seventh in citations generated between 2018 and 2023,” adds Sowter.

This also means that Indian universities are benchmarking themselves against the best in the world. Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, Chairperson of the FICCI Committee on Higher Education, which comprises university, industry and government representatives, says, “Due to this, they are working hard to ensure quality, internationalisation, and have improved their research output. Most Indian institutions now are geared towards publishing high-quality papers by encouraging faculty participation in research projects.”

Beyond research: The challenge of internationalisation

While India has made significant strides in research output, a key area for further development remains internationalisation. Most Indian universities have successfully enhanced their academic and employer reputations; however, they still lag behind in attracting international faculty and students. This is evident in the QS rankings, where India scores considerably lower than the global average on both International Faculty Ratio and International Student Ratio indicators.

Several factors contribute to this challenge such as language barriers and visa rules. The Indian government is actively addressing these challenges. One critical initiative involves allowing foreign universities to establish campuses in India. This move is designed to attract international expertise, create a more globalised learning environment and potentially elevate India’s attractiveness as a study destination. Getting foreign faculty to Indian institutions is another step.

“India’s performance on the QS Rankings will certainly help Indian institutions create an impact in the international higher education space. More foreign students are likely to join Indian universities. Foreign faculty will get attracted to teach in Indian institutions and also do joint research with Indian faculty. Overall, the perception of Indian institutions offering high-quality affordable programmes will help India to become the education hub of Asia,” says Dr Yeravdekar.

The impact of India’s performance on Asia as a region will be noteworthy. “It has affected the quality of education in the entire region which is now being looked at as a destination for affordable quality education,” says Dr Mittal.

The road ahead: Collaboration or competition?

The future for Indian institutions on the global stage looks promising, with several initiatives designed to boost India’s role as both a sender and receiver of students. New regulations now allow foreign universities to establish campuses in India, granting them autonomy over admission processes, fee structures and recruitment policies. “This move is likely to boost access to high-quality education and inspire economic growth,” says Sowter.

Australian universities, such as Deakin University and University of Melbourne, are among those establishing campuses and dual degree programmes in India. These partnerships are set to expand educational opportunities for Indian students and promote greater international exchange, collaboration, and innovation.

“These efforts are in line with the broader objectives of the landmark NEP 2020, which aims to substantially increase the number of young people earning vocational or higher education degrees by 2035. This initiative will help India improve educational quality, enhance workforce skills, promote equity, and drive economic growth and social mobility,” Sowter adds.

In terms of further progress that will strengthen India not just as a sender of students but also as a host, Dr Yeravdekar says, “India has always been sending a large number of students abroad for higher studies each year. How its universities fare on the QS World Rankings will certainly change the perception of Indian institutions and will help attract foreign students to study in India.”

India’s rise in global university rankings presents a pivotal moment for Asian education. The question arises: will this lead to a more collaborative or competitive environment? While healthy competition can drive innovation and improvement, fostering collaboration across borders offers immense potential for all Asian nations.

Collaboration can be done through joint research projects, student exchange programmes, and faculty development initiatives.

The role of QS in facilitating collaboration

Several steps such as the recently launched QS Global India Initiative aim to provide more insight into the country’s education system. Through the QS Global India Initiative, the organisation will support Indian students to fulfil their goals through educational advancement and mobility.

For global institutions, the initiative provides strategic advice and support for implementing transnational education strategies, including exploring Indian branch campuses and strengthening student recruitment efforts.

Jessica Turner, CEO, QS, says, “India is a country we’ve had a long and close association with, given the central role that Indian students play in international higher education. We support Indian students to realise their ambitions globally and have counselled around 100,000 India offer-holders on behalf of western universities in 2023. We also brought 137 institutions from across the world to India the same year to meet with 27,000 students across the country at 30 postgraduate and undergraduate events.”