Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is India’s best-ranked institute, followed by IIT Bombay and IIT Kharagpur, according to QS World University Sustainability rankings announced on Tuesday. Lund University in Sweden has taken the top spot for the first time since the ranking was established in 2023.
The University of Toronto had been the best in the world in 2024 and 2025 and now drops to second place, followed by UCL in the UK, which has climbed two positions to third overall. With 26 new entries this year, India is one of only four higher education systems that have more than 100 universities featured in the rankings.
“Of the 103 universities from India, 32 improved their ranking this year, 15 retain the same rank as last year and 30 dropped. Indian Institute of Technology Delhi is once again India’s best-performing institution, this year appearing at 205th.
However, the institution’s overall score is higher than in the previous iteration,” the London-based QS said in a statement.
“Among the 15 IITs that feature in the ranking this year, six improve their ranking in 2026 compared to the 2025 iteration. IIT Delhi is one of six IITs that has made significant progress since the inaugural ranking three years ago,” it added.
A number of Indian universities achieved their highest-ever score in the 2026 iteration of this ranking, including nine within the top 700.
Vellore Institute of Technology; IIT Roorkee; Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences; Lovely Professional University; Panjab University; Banaras Hindu University; National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela; IIT, BHU and UPES are the Indian universities ranking within the top 700 that achieved their highest-ever position this year.
“Overall, Indian universities excel in knowledge exchange and environmental sustainability. The higher education system also boasts some outstanding individual performances, especially among the IITs and institutions such as the University of Delhi. The role of higher education in the fight against climate change is highlighted in these rankings. India’s role in sustainable development can neither be underStated,” said Jessica Turner, CEO of QS.
“With its ambitious renewable energy goals and its commitment to SDGs, particularly around development in the Global South, will require strong research capabilities and green skills. It is key that Indian universities continue to be supported to provide both the talent and the innovation required for a sustainable future,” Turner added.
