Indian universities are strengthening their position in the global entrepreneurship ecosystem, with eight institutions ranking among the world’s top 100 universities for entrepreneurs, according to PitchBook’s 2026 rankings. The ranking highlights the growing contribution of graduates from India’s leading institutions, particularly the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), to the country’s venture-backed startup ecosystem.
IIT Bombay Leads Indian Universities
IIT Bombay emerged as the highest-ranked Indian institution, securing 22nd place globally with 756 founders and 590 companies. Meanwhile, IIT Delhi ranked 27th with 640 founders and 546 companies. Other Indian institutions in the top 100 include IIT Madras at 48th, IIT Kharagpur at 49th, IIT Kanpur at 50th, Delhi University at 62nd, University of Mumbai at 74th, and BITS Pilani at 91st. PitchBook’s annual ranking tracks alumni founders whose companies have raised venture capital over the past decade. The 2026 edition covers more than 222,000 venture-backed founders, based on companies that received funding between January 1, 2015, and August 1, 2026.
IIT Alumni Raise $156.65 Billion
The five IITs featured in the global top 100 collectively account for 2,705 founders and 2,256 companies. These companies have raised a combined $156.65 billion in venture capital. Interestingly, IIT Delhi leads the group in terms of capital raised. Its alumni have secured $55.65 billion, despite the institution having fewer founders than IIT Bombay. IIT Bombay alumni have raised $33.64 billion, followed by IIT Kharagpur at $23.19 billion, IIT Madras at $22.98 billion, and IIT Kanpur at $21.2 billion.
University Ecosystems Drive Startup Growth
According to Johnny Edward, Partner, Grant Thornton Bharat, the rankings reflect more than the quality of talent produced by these institutions. They also highlight the strength of the entrepreneurial ecosystems developing around universities. Edward said IITs have benefited from a combination of a selective talent pool, strong alumni networks, incubation infrastructure, and connections with investors. These advantages, he noted, have continued to build over several decades. Similarly, Thillai Rajan, Professor at IIT Madras and Head of the Centre for Research on Start-Ups, pointed to the expanding ecosystem supporting student and faculty entrepreneurship.
IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi Show Different Strengths
The comparison between IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi also highlights an important difference between entrepreneurial volume and startup scale. While IIT Bombay has produced more venture-backed founders, IIT Delhi’s alumni have raised significantly more capital. Experts suggest that differences in industry focus, company maturity, and a small number of large funding rounds could explain the gap. Therefore, founder numbers and capital raised provide complementary measures of entrepreneurial success. Funding requirements also vary significantly across sectors. For example, capital-intensive businesses such as e-commerce generally require larger investments than many other startup categories.
US Continues to Dominate Global Rankings
The United States continues to dominate PitchBook’s global top 100, with 62 universities represented. India and Canada follow with eight institutions each. At the top of the ranking, University of California, Berkeley recorded 2,380 founders, compared with 756 founders from IIT Bombay. According to Edward, the gap reflects the greater depth of the US entrepreneurial ecosystem. American universities benefit from extensive connections with venture capital firms, research institutions, industry players, and established startup clusters. As reported by thehindubusinessline.com, the strong performance of Indian universities signals the growing role of higher education institutions, incubation centres, alumni networks, and investor ecosystems in supporting India’s startup and entrepreneurship landscape.
