Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded the sharp increase in the number of Indian institutions featured in the QS Asia University Rankings over the past decade.
In a post on X, Modi said: “”Glad to see a record increase in the number of Indian universities in the QS Asia University Rankings over the last decade. Our Government is committed to ensuring quality education for our youth, with a focus on research and innovation. We are also building institutional capacities in this sector by enabling more educational institutions across India.”
According to NDTV, India’s representation in the QS Asia University Rankings has grown more than tenfold, from 24 institutions in 2016 to 294 in 2026, marking a 1,125 per cent increase.
As per the University
Rankings, India dominates Papers per Faculty indicator, with five universities ranked among Asia’s top 10 and 28 among the top 50.
This growth outpaces every other nation in Asia and reflects the impact of India’s National Education Policy (NEP).
NDTV quoted Matteo Quacquarelli, Vice President, Strategy & Analytics at QS Quacquarelli Symonds as saying: “India’s remarkable rise in the QS Asia University Rankings 2026 reflects a decade of transformation in research productivity, innovation, and institutional capacity. As India marks five years since the launch of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, its impact is becoming increasingly evident”.
“India dominates the Papers per Faculty indicator, a sign of strengthening research output. At QS, we remain committed to providing trusted data and insights that empower universities, policymakers, and students to navigate this evolving higher education landscape,” he added.
Glad to see a record increase in the number of Indian universities in the QS Asia University Rankings over the last decade. Our Government is committed to ensuring quality education for our youth, with a focus on research and innovation. We are also building institutional…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 4, 2025
Meanwhile, China recorded a 273 per cent increase over the same period. China (Mainland) has reclaimed the top rank as the most represented system with 395 universities, followed by India with 294.
While the University of Hong Kong leads the 2026 Asia rankings, Peking University stands second and Singapore’s National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) share the third spot.
The QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026 – released on Tuesday by global higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds, feature the largest cohort to date, with 1,529 universities from 25 higher education systems. Of these, 558 are new entrants.
