Phil Baty Praises India’s Growth in World University Rankings Under PM Modi
Phil Baty, the Chief Global Affairs Officer at Times Higher Education, shared his excitement about India’s progress in global university rankings since the introduction of the World University ranking in 2004. He noted that the last 20 years have been thrilling, especially watching India’s extraordinary growth in participation.
Baty stated, “I invented the World University ranking in 2004… We have the most comprehensive, most balanced ranking system in the world for global research universities… What’s been exciting for me over the 20 years–the world ranking is watching India develop. We’ve seen an extraordinary growth in participation from India.”
He highlighted that 20 years ago, Indian universities were barely involved in the rankings. However, in the upcoming October 2025 edition of the World Rankings, India will have an unprecedented 107 ranked universities, matching the United Kingdom and becoming the third best-represented country in the world.
Baty also discussed the shift in the global education landscape, noting that the dominance of American and British universities is being challenged by rising Asian universities, including those in India. He said, “The rankings we are seeing in the last decade are what I call a global levelling up… We’ve seen India starting to make more impact… The balance of power is not completely in the favour of the West anymore. Asian universities are starting to rise… Now, we have a moment where India is beginning to realise its potential to be one of the world centres of education.”
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for higher education, emphasizing the balance between expanding participation and maintaining quality. Baty said, “The most extraordinary thing that PM Modi has managed to drive forward is balancing a great expansion of participation whilst also protecting quality… Educating more and more people but not compromising on quality… We’re seeing a real shift towards universities delivering more social and economic impact and focussing on India’s economic needs. The next big step is internationalisation. Indian universities are rising on the global stage; they’re more visible and competitive.”
Baty concluded by highlighting Modi’s ambitious and clear vision for change, stating, “The exciting thing about PM Modi’s vision is the scale of the ambition and the absolute commitment to change. It is a huge challenge. India is the world’s largest democracy and economy with huge challenges. Being so ambitious, clear and focused has been exciting. Being disruptive, willing to challenge the orthodoxies… For me, it is about breaking down the barrier to international collaboration, sharing, student mobility and attracting and retaining talent in India… The Indian diaspora is leading some of the world’s greatest tech corporations.”
Doubts Revealed
Phil Baty -: Phil Baty is a person who works at Times Higher Education, an organization that ranks universities around the world.
Times Higher Education -: Times Higher Education is a group that makes lists of the best universities in the world based on different factors like teaching and research.
global university rankings -: Global university rankings are lists that show which universities are the best in the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi -: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the leader of India. He makes important decisions for the country.
vision for higher education -: Vision for higher education means having a plan or idea to make colleges and universities better.
107 universities -: 107 universities means that 107 colleges from India are on the list of best universities in the world.
UK -: UK stands for the United Kingdom, a country in Europe.
third best-represented country -: Third best-represented country means India has the third most universities on the list, after two other countries.
international collaboration -: International collaboration means working together with people or groups from other countries.
