PM Modi Welcomes QS World Rankings 2026 After Indian Universities Make Significant Advancements
QS World Rankings 2026: IIT Delhi has notably improved, moving up 27 positions to achieve the 123rd rank, a considerable leap from last year's 150th place.
QS World Rankings 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently expressed his approval of the QS World University Rankings 2026, highlighting significant advancements made by Indian institutes this year. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has notably improved, moving up 27 positions to achieve the 123rd rank, a considerable leap from last year's 150th place.
'The QS World University 2026 Rankings bring great news for our education sector. Our Government is committed to furthering research and innovation ecosystems for the benefit of India's youth," the prime minister posted on X.
A total of 54 Higher Educational Institutions from India have been featured in the QS World University 2026 Rankings, marking a new high for the country, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced. The number of Indian universities in these rankings has increased from just 11 in 2014 to 54 in the latest list, he posted on X. This is a 390 per cent increase over the past decade.
Pradhan expressed confidence that with the National Education Policy's focus on research, innovation, and internationalisation, even more Indian higher education institutions will achieve global excellence in the future. He added that India boasts the fastest-growing education system among G20 countries and ranks fourth in representation, following the US, UK, and China.
Meanwhile, as per the QS rankings 2026, IIT Bombay slipped 11 places to 129th. In 2025, it was ranked 118th However, it remains the second-best ranked Indian institution globally. IIT Madras recorded one of the most dramatic improvements in 2026 – leaping 47 places to reach the 180th spot. This is the first time it has entered the global top 200.
The QS World University Rankings, published annually by global higher education analytics firm Quacquarelli Symonds, assess universities based on a variety of performance indicators including academic reputation, faculty-student ratio, research impact, international student diversity, and graduate employability.
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India, with its large education and skilling ecosystem, has the potential to emerge as a Global Gig Hub for new-collar skills, which will power the future global economy. In order to realise it, the Government of India may consider setting up a Gig India Mission and formulate strategies and action plans and implement the same in a mission mode. Conclusion The New Collar gig economy presents not merely an attractive alternative but also a complementary pathway for the engineering graduates to acquire and harness the new-age skills. With the right policy interventions, academic reforms, and industry collaboration, gig careers can evolve from short-term sustenance models to long-term rewarding professional careers, offering opportunities for higher income, growth, and innovation to India's young talent. It is a golden opportunity for India to leverage the demographic dividend for achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047 by way of right skilling the youth. (Prof (Dr) O R S Rao is the Chancellor of the ICFAI University, Sikkim. Views are personal )
