India Ranks 13th Globally and 1st Among Lower-Middle-Income Economies in QS World Future Skills Index 2027

Source: IE

Context

India has been ranked 13th globally and first among lower-middle-income economies in the QS World Future Skills Index 2027, released by London-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the global higher education and skills analytics firm. The Index assesses how prepared countries are to tackle the evolving demands of the global labour market in an AI-driven future, evaluating nations across four key indicators — Skills Fit, Academic Readiness, Future of Work, and Economic Transformation. India scored 89.4 out of 100, with particularly strong performances in Future of Work readiness (5th globally) and Economic Transformation (14th). According to QS President Nunzio Quacquarelli, India has “built formidable scale over the past decade”, supported by rapid economic growth, a large pool of graduates, the world’s largest IT workforce, and the largest number of tertiary-educated individuals in the world — giving it the potential to be the fastest-growing economy over the next decade. However, the report flags persistent concerns around talent quality and skill alignment, with the next challenge being to improve the quality and relevance of locally produced skills. Quacquarelli highlighted the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 as an “ambitious attempt” to address these challenges, while emphasising that even regional implementation, transnational education partnerships (branch campuses), and collaborative delivery models complemented by rising research strengths can help India close skills gaps faster and expand global talent pipelines. The Index is powered by QS 1Mentor data from over 280 million job postings, the QS Global Employer Survey, and economic statistics from the World Bank Group.

India’s Performance in QS World Future Skills Index 2027

Metric	Value
Overall Global Rank	13th (out of ~80+ countries)
Rank Among Lower-Middle-Income Economies	1st
Overall Score	89.4 / 100
Future of Work Rank	5th globally
Economic Transformation Rank	14th globally

India’s Performance Across Indicators

Indicator	India’s Score (/100)	India’s Global Rank
Economic Capacity (sub-indicator)	100.0	1st (Highest in the world)
Future of Work	96.0	5th
Economic Transformation	93.3	14th
Academic Readiness	85.7	22nd
Skills Alignment (Skills Fit)	82.7	18th
Overall Index Score	89.4	13th
Human Capital Index (HCI)	—	73rd

QS Future Skills Index 2027 — Top 15 Nations

Rank	Economy	Overall Score (/100)	Primary Strength
1	United States	99.2	Skills Alignment
2	Australia	97.5	Academic Readiness
3	United Kingdom	96.6	Academic Readiness
4	Germany	95.5	Future of Work
5	Canada	93.7	Academic Readiness
6	South Korea	93.4	Economic Transformation
7	China	92.5	Economic Transformation
8	Netherlands	91.9	Academic Readiness
9	Spain	91.7	Academic Readiness
10	Switzerland	91.6	Academic Readiness
11	France	91.2	Academic Readiness
12	Singapore	91.1	Economic Transformation
13	India	89.4	Future of Work
14	Sweden	89.2	Economic Transformation
15	Japan	89.0	Skills Alignment

India’s Peer-Group Performance

Peer Group	India’s Rank	Nearest Peer
South Asia	1st	Bangladesh (67th globally)
Lower-Middle-Income Nations	1st	Philippines (38th globally)

India’s Trajectory in the QS World Future Skills Index

Edition	Year	India’s Rank	Notes
Inaugural Index	2025	25th	2nd in Future of Work (after US)
QS Future Skills Index 2026	2026	—	Progressively improved
QS Future Skills Index 2027	2027 edition	13th	89.4/100 score, 1st in lower-middle-income

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)

• What: A global higher education and skills analytics firm specialising in university rankings, employer surveys, and skills research; publisher of the QS World University Rankings (since 2004), QS World Future Skills Index (inaugural 2025), and other education performance metrics; uses proprietary data sources like QS 1Mentor (280M+ job postings) and QS Global Employer Survey.
• Where: HQ in London, United Kingdom; offices in Singapore, Mumbai, Stuttgart, Sydney, Boston, Tokyo, Bucharest, Alicante, Shanghai; rankings cover universities in 90+ countries.

QS World Future Skills Index

• What: A global ranking system that evaluates countries’ readiness to meet future labour market demands, particularly in the AI-driven, digital, and green economy; uses 4 indicators powered by 13 sub-indicators; sub-indicators are equally weighted at 25%; combines proprietary QS data with third-party data from World Bank Group, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, and Education Policy Institute; assesses 80+ countries.
• Where: Developed and published by QS from London; assesses countries globally based on data from job postings, university rankings, and economic indicators.

The Four Indicators of QS World Future Skills Index

Indicator	What it Measures	India’s Performance
Skills Fit	Alignment between workforce skills and employer demand	Lower than APAC peers; gap in Entrepreneurial & Innovative Mindset
Academic Readiness	Higher education’s preparation for future skills (AI, Digital, Green)	Strong in AI, Digital; gap in Green skills
Future of Work	Job market readiness for AI, digital, and green roles	5th globally (89.4 score helped)
Economic Transformation	Country’s economic capacity to lead AI, digital, green industries	14th globally

Sub-Indicators (13 in Total)

• Skills Fit Sub-indicators: Industry alignment, employer satisfaction, graduate outcomes.
• Academic Readiness Sub-indicators: AI, Digital, Green (based on QS World University Rankings by Subject).
• Future of Work Sub-indicators: AI, Digital, Green (based on QS 1Mentor job postings).
• Economic Transformation Sub-indicators: Financial capacity, innovation, sustainability.

India’s Strengths Highlighted in the Index

• World’s largest IT workforce (~5.4 million IT professionals).
• Largest number of tertiary-educated individuals in the world.
• Second-largest destination for VC and growth funding in Asia Pacific.
• 59% of Indian companies actively use AI (per IBM Global AI Adoption Index).
• 69 Indian universities featured in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 (52 in QS WUR 2027 overall).
• Outperforms BRICS average in Academic Readiness.
• Strong Future of Work score: 99.1.
• Fastest-growing G20 economy in 2024.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

• What: A comprehensive reform of India’s education system approved by the Union Cabinet on 29 July 2020, replacing NEP 1986; introduces 5+3+3+4 school structure, multidisciplinary higher education, internationalisation, Indian Knowledge Systems integration, research and innovation focus, mother-tongue instruction, vocational integration; targets GER of 50% in higher education by 2035.
• Where: Implemented across India by the Ministry of Education; specific implementation plans by states and UTs.

Other India Skills/Education Reports

Report	Body	Key Finding
QS World Future Skills Index 2027	QS	India 13th, score 89.4, 5th in Future of Work
India Skills Report (ISR) 2026	ETS, CII, AICTE, AIU, Taggd	Employability 56.35% (up from 46.2% in 2022)
QS World University Rankings 2027	QS	India 4th globally with 52 universities (after US, UK, China)
Global Innovation Index 2025	WIPO	India 38th globally, 1st among lower-middle-income
WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025	WEF	India among top countries for tech talent demand

Practice MCQs

Q1. With reference to the QS World Future Skills Index 2027, consider the following statements:

1. India was ranked 13th globally and first among lower-middle-income economies.
2. India scored 89.4 out of 100.
3. India ranked 5th globally in the Future of Work readiness indicator.
4. The QS World Future Skills Index is published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; the QS World Future Skills Index is published by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a London-based higher education firm, NOT the UNDP.)

Q2. With reference to the four key indicators of the QS World Future Skills Index, consider the following statements:

1. The four indicators are Skills Fit, Academic Readiness, Future of Work, and Economic Transformation.
2. Each indicator is equally weighted at 25%.
3. India ranked 14th globally in Economic Transformation in the 2027 edition.
4. India scored highest globally in Environmental Performance and Sustainability.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; India is ranked 176th in the Environmental Performance Index, indicating weak performance in green/sustainability metrics, NOT a highest global score.)

Q3. With reference to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), consider the following statements:

1. QS is a London-based global higher education and skills analytics firm.
2. It publishes the QS World University Rankings, QS Future Skills Index, and other education performance metrics.
3. Nunzio Quacquarelli is the President of QS.
4. QS is a department of the World Bank Group.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; QS is an independent private firm, NOT a department of the World Bank Group. World Bank data is one of the third-party data sources used in QS Index.)

Q4. With reference to India’s strengths highlighted in the QS World Future Skills Index 2027, consider the following statements:

1. India has the world’s largest IT workforce.
2. India has the largest number of tertiary-educated individuals in the world.
3. India is the second-largest destination for venture capital and growth funding in the Asia Pacific region.
4. India scored the highest globally in Skills Fit indicator.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; India’s Skills Fit score is lower than APAC peers, with a notable gap in Entrepreneurial & Innovative Mindset, NOT the highest globally.)

Q5. With reference to the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, consider the following statements:

1. NEP 2020 was approved by the Union Cabinet on 29 July 2020.
2. It replaces the NEP 1986 (revised in 1992).
3. It introduces a 5+3+3+4 school structure replacing the 10+2 system.
4. NEP 2020 is implemented exclusively by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; NEP 2020 is implemented primarily by the Ministry of Education, with coordination across multiple ministries and states/UTs.)

Q6. With reference to India’s recent education and skill rankings, consider the following statements:

1. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, India had 52 universities featured, ranking 4th globally after the US, UK, and China.
2. The India Skills Report (ISR) 2026 reported India’s overall employability at 56.35%.
3. India ranked 38th in the Global Innovation Index 2025, first among lower-middle-income economies.
4. India’s R&D expenditure stands at 5% of GDP, ahead of OECD average.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one (b) Only two (c) Only three (d) All four (e) None

(Statement 4 is wrong; India’s R&D spending is only 0.64% of GDP, well below the OECD average of ~2.5%.)

Answer Key

1. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because QS publishes the Index, not UNDP.
2. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because India is 176th in EPI, not highest.
3. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because QS is independent of the World Bank.
4. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Skills Fit is below APAC peers.
5. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because Ministry of Education implements NEP.
6. (c), Statements 1, 2, 3 are correct; Statement 4 is wrong because India’s R&D is only 0.64% of GDP.