Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) is a new initiative launched by the Ministry of Education in 2019 to promote innovation and entrepreneurship development in the Indian higher education institutions and strengthen the overall innovation ecosystem. It is an annual exercise to systematically rank education institutions and universities primarily on innovation related indicators.

ARIIA analyses higher education institutions and universities based on various parameters including academic courses offered on innovation and start-up, successful innovation and start-ups that emerged from campus, investment, collaboration and partnerships with ecosystem enablers, research outputs and technology transfer and commercialisation efforts.

Participation of institutions in this ranking has been increasing exponentially each year.  Within three years from the time of inception, participation of institutions has increased by 189 per cent in 2021. The categories of award has also been expanded to encourage more representation and involvement from both technical and non-technical institutions.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Delhi have been consistently taking the top three positions since 2019 in the government aided institutions of national importance category.  In the newly introduced categories of government aided state university/deemed university, Panjab University takes the first position followed by  Delhi Technological University  and  Netaji Subhas University of Technology, Delhi and in the private/self-funded non-technical category, top three positions are held by Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, Gujarat, Sree Narayana College, Kerala and Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.  

The full list of achievements can be seen for 2021 and the preceding years 2020 and 2019.

British Council comments:

India is making considered efforts to improve in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship.  On the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI), India ranks 68th amongst 137 countries.  And on the  Global Innovation Index (GII) ranking, it has moved up to 46th position in 2021 from 81st position in 2015.  As per the 2021 GII report, it is the top innovative economy in the central and southern Asia region. 

ARIIA team states that they use all major indicators which are commonly used globally to rank most innovative education institutions/ universities in the world.   This ranking is getting a wider acceptance domestically and through this, the policymakers hope that it will inspire Indian institutions to reorient their mind-set and build ecosystems to encourage high quality research.

A government backed initiative with wide coverage of all types of higher education institutions will provide legitimacy as well as traction for institutions to innovate and excel.  The UK HEIs might want to consider and factor in this new additional ranking in identifying partner institutions in India for future research and innovations partnership or exchange programmes.   

If you have any questions, please write to Sandeepa Sahay

Read more at:

https://www.ariia.gov.in/pdf/ARIIA2021RankingReport.pdf

https://theprint.in/india/education/7-iits-in-top-10-of-govts-atal-rankings-for-innovation-iit-madras-is-no-1/790726/