Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday welcomed India’s significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings 2026, calling it a reflection of the country’s growing stature in global education.
Responding to a post on X by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, PM Modi said, “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.”
A record 54 Indian institutions have been featured in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi emerging as the top-ranked Indian institution nationally.
The education minister said the improvement was the result of education reforms introduced over the past decade, particularly the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“This five-fold jump — from just 11 institutions in 2014 to 54 in 2026 — is a testament to the transformative reforms brought in by the Modi government over the last ten years,” he said. “The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is not just changing our education system; it is revolutionising it.”
According to the Ministry of Education, India has seen an “unprecedented rise” in representation, with more universities than ever earning a place in the global rankings. The ministry stated that India is now the fastest-growing G20 country in the QS rankings, recording a 390 percent increase in the number of ranked institutions over the past decade.