Nine Indian institutions have secured spots in the world’s top 50 across various disciplines in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject, as reported by The Hindu. The Indian School of Mines (ISM) Dhanbad leads the charge, ranking 20th globally in Engineering-Mineral and Mining, making it India’s highest-ranked subject area this year.

The 15th edition of the subject-wise rankings, released on March 12 by UK-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), highlights 12 top-50 placements from Indian universities, spanning Engineering, Business, and Development Studies.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have also made it to the top 50 in Engineering-Mineral and Mining, ranking 28th and 45th respectively, although both have slipped from previous positions.

Meanwhile, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and IIT Bombay saw notable improvement in the broader category of Engineering and Technology, moving up to 26th and 28th place respectively. These institutions also secured top-50 spots in Engineering-Electrical and Electronic.

In the realm of business education, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore continue to feature in the global top 50 for Business and Management Studies, though their rankings have declined — Ahmedabad dropped from 22nd to 27th, while Bangalore slipped from 32nd to 40th.

Additionally, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras retained its top-50 standing in Petroleum Engineering, and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) maintained its presence in Development Studies, albeit with a slight decline.

As The Hindu reports, the latest edition features 533 entries from 79 Indian universities, an increase of 25.7% from last year. New entries include those in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence from IIT Madras and Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), and in Engineering-Mineral and Mining from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur.

Jessica Turner, CEO of QS, stated, “Closing these gaps through higher education reform and skills alignment is essential for ensuring India’s graduates remain competitive in the global economy and are equipped to lead the industries of tomorrow.”

Computer Science & Information Systems remains India’s most represented subject, with entries increasing from 28 to 42 this year, placing India fourth globally in this field, behind the US, the UK and China.