New Delhi: India secured joint first place at the 56th International Physics Olympiad 2026 after all five students in its team won gold medals. The competition
was held in Bucaramanga, Colombia, and brought together 381 students from 87 countries.
India shared the top rank with China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan, according to the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education. The result marked a rare clean sweep for the Indian team and added another strong chapter to the country’s record at the global science contest.
An outstanding performance by our youngsters!
Congratulations to the Indian contingent of Kanishk Jain, Riddhesh Anant Bendale, Rishit Garg, Shresth Suraiya and Svarit Joshi for winning Gold Medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 held in Bucaramanga,… pic.twitter.com/oiAVLy110P
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2026
Five Indian students win gold medals
The gold medal winners came from five major Indian cities:
- Kanishk Jain from Pune, Maharashtra
- Riddhesh Anant Bendale from Indore, Madhya Pradesh
- Rishit Garg from Dwarka, New Delhi
- Shresth Suraiya from Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Svarit Joshi from Ahmedabad, Gujarat
For students who have spent months solving difficult physics problems, the result is a big moment. Olympiad questions often go far beyond regular classroom exercises and test how clearly a student can think under pressure.
India continues strong Olympiad run
The 2026 event marked India’s 27th participation in the International Physics Olympiad. HBCSE said every Indian participant in the last 10 years has returned with either a gold or silver medal.
The Indian contingent was led by Prof Anwesh Mazumdar of HBCSE-TIFR and Dr Leena Joshi of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Prof Ananda Dasgupta of IISER Kolkata and Nisha Kelkar of Gogate-Joglekar College joined the team as scientific observers.
Training helped students prepare
The students trained through the Physics Olympiad Cell at HBCSE before travelling to Colombia. Their preparation included orientation sessions and pre-departure camps led by mentors and faculty linked to the Olympiad programme.
The result gives India one of its strongest performances at the event.
