New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has retained its place as India’s highest-ranked university, climbing 5 places to 118th position in the QS World University Rankings 2027 released on Wednesday.IIT Delhi ranks 118 in QS rankings, up from 123IIT Delhi’s rise from 123rd position in 2027 marks a significant improvement as it is the highest position ever achieved by any Indian institution. IIT Bombay slipped 5 places to 134th from 129 last year’s rankings.Prof Somnath Baidya Roy, dean, planning, and head, ranking cell, IIT Delhi, said, “IIT Delhi remains committed to the goal of providing world class affordable technological education and becoming a preferred destination for scholars worldwide. Our revamped curriculum, new infrastructure, and increased international engagement will enhance our quality and impact in the coming years. We see rankings as an outcome, not an objective. If we do the right things for the right reasons, rankings will follow naturally.”QS World University Rankings 2027 features 52 Indian universities compared to 54 institutions last year. However, over the past decade, India’s representation in the rankings has increased from 14 to 52 institutions.“As a result, India has become the fastest-growing G20 nation by proportional increase in ranked universities, underlining the sector’s growing scale, international visibility and global competitiveness,” Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) said in a statement.Four Indian institutions that featured in last year’s edition — CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru; Osmania University, Hyderabad; Ashoka University; and Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS) — are absent from the QS World University Rankings 2027. CHRIST, Osmania and MRIIRS fell below the minimum score required for inclusion, while Ashoka University did not meet QS’s minimum size threshold in terms of Reputation and Research position to qualify this year. Meanwhile, two Indian institutions – IIT (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad and Bharathiar University, Coimbatore – entered the rankings for the first time.Of the 52 Indian universities ranked, 26 have improved their position, nine have held steady, 15 have seen a drop and two entered the rankings for the first time. Vellore Institute of Technology climbs 94 places to 597th, the largest rise of any Indian university and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, gains 93 places to 575th.“For every Indian institution that fell this year, 1.7 climbed; in the United States, five fell for every one that rose. …Against a global field in which 67% of ranked US institutions and 78% of German institutions declined this year, India’s 52% improvement rate is among the strongest of any major system,” QS said.More than 1,500 institutions across 106 countries and territories are ranked this year. India is now the fifth most represented country in the rankings with 52 institutions, behind only the United States (184 institutions), the UK (93 institutions, mainland China (85 institutions) and Germany (60 institutions). Last year, India was the fourth most represented country with 54 universities.The US’ Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has retained the top position for the 15th consecutive year. UK’s Imperial College London and US’ Stanford University are joint second followed by UK’s University of Oxford. The top ranked Chinese institution is Peking University at 13th position, the top ranked German one is Technical University of Munich at 25th.The QS World University Rankings assess institutions across 10 key indicators including academic reputation, citations per faculty, employer reputation, employment outcomes, international faculty ratio, international research network, international student diversity, international student ratio, faculty-student ratio and sustainability.Founded in 1990 and headquartered in London, QS specialises in providing data, research and consulting services to the international higher education sector.