From 1501+ to 1201–1400: How Manav Rachna is steadily building its place on the global academic map

Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies has moved up in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, with research quality emerging as a defining strength in its evolving institutional journey.

In Short

• Research quality emerged as MRIIRS's strongest performance pillar this year
• The university secured over ₹850 lakh from multiple research funding bodies
• Its ecosystem includes laboratories, publications, patents and cross-disciplinary consultancy work

Universities rarely transform because of a single milestone. Progress is usually cumulative, built through stronger academic systems, sustained investment in research, better infrastructure, deeper collaborations and an institutional culture that continually asks what can be done better.

For Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies (MRIIRS), that progression is increasingly visible on the global stage.

MRIIRS has entered the 1201–1400 global band in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2027, moving up from the 1501+ band in 2026. Its position among ranked Indian institutions has also strengthened, moving from 98th among 128 ranked institutions in 2026 to 63rd among 170 in 2027, according to data shared by the university. The movement assumes greater significance in an increasingly competitive global ranking environment. THE says its 2027 edition is its most inclusive yet, spanning 118 countries and territories, with more granular ranking bands introduced this year.

The rankings continue to assess research-intensive universities across their core missions, including teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook and industry engagement. For MRIIRS, however, the more interesting story lies behind the movement.

Research emerges as a differentiating strength

Among the different dimensions of its performance this year, Research Quality has emerged as MRIIRS's strongest pillar. The development reflects an institutional direction that has been taking shape over several years: moving research beyond publication numbers towards an ecosystem that connects research, external funding, infrastructure, intellectual property, prototyping, incubation and translation of ideas into applications.

MRIIRS's research priorities span areas with considerable contemporary relevance, including Artificial Intelligence and Data Science; Biotechnology and Life Sciences; Sustainable Materials and Green Technologies; Health Sciences and Clinical Research; and Management, Economics and Policy.

The university has also attracted more than 850 lakh in research funding, with support from organisations including the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), Haryana State Council for Science, Innovation & Technology (HSCSIT), and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Indian Institute of Millets Research (ICAR-IIMR), among others. Its research portfolio also includes participation in the European Union-funded ERASMUS+ Capacity Building in Higher Education programme.

External research funding is significant not simply as a number. It enables universities to pursue larger projects, strengthen specialised capabilities, support researchers and build collaborations across institutional and disciplinary boundaries.

Building the infrastructure for serious research

Research capacity also depends on the environment available to researchers.

MRIIRS has been developing specialised laboratories and research facilities across disciplines, supporting work in areas ranging from engineering and computing to biotechnology, healthcare, sustainability and advanced materials. Its wider research ecosystem has reported more than 6,000 research publications and over 300 patents published, while institutional mechanisms support researchers with grant opportunities, intellectual property, collaborations and research dissemination.

The university's focus also extends beyond conventional disciplinary boundaries. Its innovation domains include biomedical devices, agricultural technologies, environmental sustainability solutions, smart systems and automation, while prototyping activity encompasses areas such as medical devices, sustainable packaging, agri-tech solutions and smart IoT systems. Its consultancy portfolio similarly extends into infrastructure and smart cities, food processing and agri-tech, healthcare and diagnostics, environmental impact assessment and quality-related projects.

This breadth matters because many of today's most consequential research questions increasingly require expertise to converge across disciplines.

Taking ideas beyond the laboratory

An important part of this ecosystem is the Manav Rachna Innovation and Incubation Foundation (MRIIF), which works to provide innovators and entrepreneurs with an environment in which ideas can be developed into viable ventures. MRIIF is a Section 8 company established to foster innovation and entrepreneurship. Its ecosystem brings together mentorship, infrastructure, skill development, incubation and acceleration, funding support and industry linkages, creating pathways through which ideas can move from early-stage innovation towards market readiness and commercialisation.

The Foundation reports having supported 110+ startups, working with student and faculty innovators through incubation and acceleration programmes, hackathons, mentoring, networking and pitch opportunities. Its support also extends to areas such as go-to-market strategy, funding and legal and administrative requirements.

Its innovation ecosystem covers areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT, robotics and automation, biotechnology, healthcare technology, water treatment, clean energy and electric vehicles, supported by prototyping capabilities such as 3D printing and laser cutting. A dedicated Intellectual Property Rights Cell complements this journey by supporting patent filing and prosecution, technology transfer, licensing and commercialisation.

The larger objective is to create pathways through which promising academic ideas do not necessarily end with a research paper or prototype, but have the opportunity to develop into technologies, enterprises and solutions.

From research output to research impact

This evolution also reflects a broader change in how research performance is understood.

Publications remain fundamental to academia. But a mature research ecosystem is increasingly defined by a wider set of outcomes — research quality and influence, citations, external funding, collaboration, intellectual property, technology transfer, entrepreneurship and societal application.

For MRIIRS, areas such as biomedical devices and diagnostics connect research with healthcare challenges. Agri-tech and food processing engage with food systems. Sustainable materials and packaging respond to environmental concerns. Smart systems, automation and artificial intelligence connect academic inquiry with rapidly changing technological and industrial requirements.

That movement from knowledge creation towards knowledge application is an important part of the institution's developing research identity.

A ranking as a marker, not a destination

The movement from 1501+ to 1201–1400 in the THE World University Rankings therefore provides MRIIRS with an external marker of progress. But rankings are ultimately snapshots.

The more consequential questions concern what happens between one ranking cycle and the next: whether research becomes more influential internationally; whether faculty attract larger competitive grants; whether interdisciplinary collaborations deepen; whether more intellectual property translates into applications; whether promising prototypes reach the market; and whether students become increasingly embedded in a culture of research and innovation.

Those outcomes take time.

As Manav Rachna marks 30 years of its educational journey, the THE World University Rankings 2027 offer an opportunity to recognise how far the institution has travelled while keeping the focus firmly on what comes next. For MRIIRS, the direction is consistent: strengthen the ecosystem, deepen the research, expand its impact and keep getting better.

The ranking has moved upward. The larger story is an institution determined to keep moving with it.

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