India has achieved a historic milestone in global higher education in the green segment. The QS Sustainability Rankings 2026 feature 103 Indian universities. This places India among the top four nations worldwide. The surge shows a strong push to align higher education with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Decoding the QS ranking parameters: the impact:
The QS ranking is built on three core areas: Environmental Impact, Social Impact, and Governance.
Understanding the specific actions of universities explains India’s success.
Environmental Excellence in Action: Institutions are demonstrating measurable impact through specific projects. For instance, IIT Delhi shows commitment to operational sustainability. Its solar power installations contribute to a 3.5 MW peak capacity. This helped reduce its power-sector carbon footprint by 12% in one year. Furthermore, it operates three sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a 1.55 MLD capacity. The treated water is reused for campus horticulture, ensuring water conservation.
IIT Kharagpur is a major contributor to green energy. Its total installed solar PV capacity exceeds 5.5 MWp. This deployment directly contributes to national renewable energy targets.
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru is ranked 42nd globally for Environmental Education. Its research groups consistently produce high-quality publications on climate modelling and ecological resilience. This builds the foundational knowledge needed for the green economy.
Social impact and knowledge exchange:
High ranks in the social impact component of the relevance of Indian education.
IIT Delhi and IIT Kharagpur are in the Global Top 100 for Employability and Outcomes. The Employability and Outcomes rank for IIT Delhi (93rd) and IIT Kharagpur (96th) validates that their alumni are securing strategic roles—not just jobs—in firms like KPMG India (ESG Advisory) and Carbon Clean Solutions (a startup tackling 60,000 tons of CO2 capture).
Delhi University dramatically improved its ranking by increasing research collaboration. This resulted in a jump of over 335 places in Environmental Education. The university is now translating this academic expertise into policy, using its new ₹330 crore sustainable infrastructure to engage policymakers and industry on critical climate action strategies.
Why the green skill vacuum persists:
Despite this academic success, a major problem persists. India’s green economy transition is suffering from a massive green skill gap. This structural vacuum threatens national net-zero goals.
The data confirms this paradox. The renewable energy sector has the potential to create over 1.7 million jobs. However, the sector faces a skill gap of over 1.2 million skilled personnel. This is a huge deficit in specialized technicians and engineers.
The vacuum exists because of structural gaps. Several premier institutions, including IIT Delhi (slipping to 205th) and IIT Bombay (slipping to 235th), saw a drop in their overall rankings. This signals that global competitors are outpacing India. The domestic pace of change is too slow.
Structural gaps in funding and collaboration:
The issue is not just training; it is funding. The industry’s share of R&D funding remains low, at around 36%. This is critically low compared to the US (75%) and China (77%). Low private investment means academic research often fails to become scalable commercial solutions.
The government created the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF). It has a ₹1 lakh crore corpus. The ANRF aims to stimulate private-sector-led R&D. However, its success hinges on mobilizing the industry to co-fund research. There is also a lack of accountability. A true ‘Green Campus‘ culture is missing. Environmental performance is not yet a mandatory key performance indicator (KPI) for university leadership.
The path to true global impact:
• To turn this statistical victory into real-world impact, we need coordinated action.
• The government must offer targeted tax breaks. These breaks should be for sustainability projects that are co-funded by the industry. Companies must use their CSR funds for green skills development.
• We need immediate accountability. Future funding for top universities should be directly linked to their annual performance in global sustainability metrics. This will force a rapid cultural and operational shift.
• Finally, the 1.2 million skill gap must be fixed now. The government must establish national ‘Green Skill Vouchers’. These vouchers will subsidize and accelerate the upskilling of the workforce.
Our take:
The inclusion of 103 universities in the QS Sustainability Rankings 2026 is not merely a statistical victory for India. It is a firm commitment that underscores the role of higher education in a sustainable future. While institutions like IIT Delhi and IIT Roorkee set global benchmarks, the real battle remains in crucial metrics such as ‘Environmental Impact’ and ‘Governance excellence.’ By fostering coordination among academia, industry, and government, India can not only meet its SDGs but also stand as a global hub of innovation for a ‘Green Future.’
