India’s higher education sees surge in PhD faculty, research, global rankings: Report

India's higher education sector is undergoing a dramatic shift, with increased faculty qualifications, research output, and global reputation.

A recent KPMG report, based on 10 years of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) data, finds that the country's universities and colleges are experiencing "outcome-led systemic improvements" driven by faculty upskilling, PhD growth, and an innovative culture.

According to the survey, approximately 60 per cent of faculty members at India's top 100 higher education institutions now have a PhD, a significant increase from previous years. 

The ratio is significantly greater in specialised disciplines, with over 90 per cent in management institutions and more than 80 per cent in engineering colleges.

Top-ranked institutions now have more than 73 per cent PhD-qualified faculty in most categories, demonstrating the growing relationship between faculty qualifications and institutional success.  

India's doctoral education ecosystem has also grown dramatically, with PhD enrollments in universities increasing by 21 per cent, from 97,947 in 2019 to 118,556 in 2025, and completions increasing by over 49 per cent, from 16,403 to 24,481.

The report attributed this expansion to enhanced research supervision, infrastructure, and academic ecosystems. Interestingly, universities ranked 76-100 in NIRF 2025 experienced the largest rise in enrollments, while top-tier institutions dominated in completions.

Participation in the NIRF rankings also has risen sharply, from 2,426 institutions in 2016 to 7,692 in 2025, a 217 per cent increase. The college category alone grew 401 per cent, from 803 to 4,030 participants.