MUMBAI: Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has retained its position as India’s top university for the fifth consecutive year, ranking 59 in the QS World University Rankings: Asia 2026, slightly lower than last year’s 44. It is followed by the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (64), and IIT Madras (70). India’s showing this year is defined by research productivity and academic depth – five universities rank among Asia’s top 10 for ‘Papers Per Faculty’ and 28 among the top 50, while 45 Indian institutions feature in the top 100 for ‘Staff with PhD’.In just a decade, India’s presence in the Asia rankings has surged from 24 universities in 2016 to 294 in 2026 – a 1125% increase, making India Asia’s research powerhouse, leading the region in productivity and faculty strength.As Jessica Turner, CEO, QS Quacquarelli Symonds said: “India’s higher education transformation is now visible in the data – a system that’s globally relevant and locally empowering.”India’s higher education system has expanded its regional footprint, backed by strong research output and faculty quality, with now 294 ranked universities in the 17th QS Asia Rankings, the second-most represented system after China (395). Of these, seven feature in the top 100, 20 in the top 200, and 66 in the top 500. Of the Indian institutions ranked last year, 36 improved, 16 remained stable, and 105 declined – even as 137 universities made their debut, the highest-ever number from India. Nineteen achieved their best-ever rank, including Chandigarh University, BITS Pilani, Shoolini University, and OP Jindal Global University.India, however, continues to lag behind regional leaders on internationalisation indicators – a challenge reflected in limited foreign student and faculty inflows. The results see University of Hong Kong crowned Asia’s best university, unseating Peking University which slips to second. Nanyang Technological University climbs one position to joint-third alongside National University of Singapore.