IIT Delhi overtakes IIT Bombay as India’s top institute in QS Asia rankings

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has overtaken IIT Bombay as India’s top university in the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2025. IIT Delhi rose to the 44th spot regionally, improving from 46th last year. This achievement comes due to advancements in key areas, especially in staff with PhDs, where IIT Delhi climbed 58 places.

IIT Bombay, previously the leader, slipped to 48th regionally. Despite this, it remains the most renowned Indian university internationally, ranking 27th in academic reputation and 16th in employer reputation. Other prestigious institutions, such as IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IISc, and IIT Kanpur, also experienced a decline in rankings.

In contrast, the University of Delhi (DU) made significant progress, jumping 13 ranks to 81st. IIT Guwahati, ranked 104th regionally, placed 8th in India. Additionally, IIT Roorkee and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) secured spots in the top 10.

The University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) saw a remarkable rise, climbing 70 positions to 148th regionally, marking Asia’s second-most improved university. The increase in Indian universities’ rankings highlights their growth, especially in academic and employer reputation. Indian institutions excelled in research productivity, with four out of Asia’s top five universities in papers per faculty being Indian.

This year, 59 Indian universities climbed the rankings, while 51 dropped, and 31 maintained their positions. Despite challenges, Indian universities have shown resilience, with notable improvements in academic and employer reputation.