India's Position in Global University Rankings
India leads in the number of universities in Asia but lags in global rankings due to quality gaps, underfunding, outdated infrastructure, and a faculty crisis. Only a few Indian institutions feature in top global lists, highlighting the need for bold reforms in funding, autonomy, research, and internationalization to improve academic standards and global competitiveness.
India tops the QS Asia Rankings 2025 with 193 universities, surpassing China, but struggles in global rankings. Only IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay, and Delhi University appear in the QS World University Rankings 2025, while THE World Reputation Rankings 2025 feature just four Indian institutions. Quality issues persist, with low accreditation rates and uneven standards. Chronic underfunding, outdated labs, and inadequate digital infrastructure hinder research output and citations. The faculty crisis is exacerbated by funding shortages, rigid work culture, and high student-teacher ratios. Administrative bottlenecks and bureaucracy further limit innovation. In contrast, countries like China and the U.S. invest heavily in higher education, infrastructure, and research, and offer greater institutional autonomy. India's share of global research publications and citations remains low. To improve, India needs increased government funding, stronger institutional autonomy, better faculty recruitment, infrastructure upgrades, and incentives for original research and internationalization. Without bold reforms, incremental progress will fall short of breaking into the global top ten.
