In the recently published Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asia University Rankings 2026, India has gained the lead in the “Papers per Faculty” indicator, underlining its universities’ strong research output. 

This metric measures the number of research publications by an academic member in a university or Higher Educational Institution in a particular country. According to the rankings, Indian institutions ranked 16 within the top 30, 26 in the top 50 and 45 in the top 100 for this metric, The Financial Express reports. 

In contrast, mainland China (including Hong Kong and Macao) recorded only six universities in the top 30, 14 in the top 50 and 30 in the top 100. 

The QS analysis itself highlights the influence of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which focuses on creating a research-intensive environment at Indian institutes.

Additionally, India leads Asia in another key metric, “Staff with PhDs”, with 39 of its universities ranking in the top 100, far ahead of China’s 14. 

However, rankings demonstrate that while the volume of publications is impressive, the broader quality, international impact and institutional reputation remain significant challenges. 

Indian universities remain absent from the overall top 50 in the QS Asia ranking, indicating that the sheer quantity of research does not yet translate into commensurate global standing, reports The Financial Express

Educational analysts say this achievement is encouraging, but urge institutes to focus now on publishing in high-impact journals and enhancing global collaborations, rather than simply increasing publication counts.

In the QS Asia University Rankings 2026, India added 137 institutes to the list, taking its total to 294 (second highest after China’s 395).