High number of new entries a positive trend: QS
New Delhi: Nine Indian universities and institutions are among the world’s top 50 in the QS subject-wise rankings even as some of the top institutions on the list including three Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), two Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) saw a drop in their positions.
According to the 15th edition of the World University Rankings by Subject, announced on Wednesday by London-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), India celebrates 12 top-50 positions across the subject rankings and broad faculty areas, earned by nine institutions.
Leading the way is the Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, which ranks 20th globally for Engineering-Mineral and Mining, making it the country’s highest-performing subject area.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and Kharagpur have been ranked at 28th and 45th spot for Engineering-Mineral and Mining. However, both institutions have seen a drop in their positions.
Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Delhi and Bombay, which shared the 45th rank for Engineering and Technology have improved their position to bag the 26th and 28th spot, respectively. The two institutions have also improved their rank for Engineering-Electrical and Electronic to enter the top 50 list.
Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad and Bangalore continued to be among the world’s top 50 for Business and Management Studies but their ranking has dropped since the previous year. While Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad’s ranking dropped to 27 from 22, that of IIM Bangalore slipped to 40 from 32.
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras (Petroleum Engineering) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) (Development Studies) continued to be among the world’s top 50 but their ranks also dropped by few spots.
“A total of 79 Indian universities – 10 more than last year – feature 533 times across this year’s rankings, marking a 25.7% increase compared to the previous edition. This includes 454 entries in individual subjects and 79 appearances across the five broad faculty areas,” QS said in a statement.
In the latest edition of the QS subject-specific rankings, India has the fifth highest number of new entries behind China, the US, the UK and Korea, and ranks 12th for the number of overall entries.
“The high number of the new entries featured in the rankings is a continuation of a trend of the country’s growing higher education ecosystem, both in terms of size and quality,” QS said.
The new entrants from India in top 100 include IIT Madras and Vellore Institute of Technology for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and IISc Bangalore and IIT Kanpur for Engineering-Mineral and Mining.
Jessica Turner, CEO at QS, flagged that while India shows exceptional strength in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), green and digital skills, critical gaps remain in sustainability and entrepreneurial capabilities.
“Closing these gaps through higher education reform and skills alignment is essential for ensuring India’s graduates remain competitive in the global economy and are equipped to lead the industries of tomorrow,” Turner said.
The 2025 QS World University Rankings by Subject include 533 entries from 79 Indian universities, up from 424 entries last year. Of these, 156 entries improved, 101 declined and 154 remained stable, while 122 new entries made their debut in this edition.
Computer Science & Information Systems remains India’s most represented subject, with ranked entries increasing from 28 last year to 42 this year – placing India fourth globally for this discipline, behind only the US (119 entries), the United Kingdom (62) and China (58).
