Quantitative Analysis of IITs' Research Growth and SDG Contributions

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the research growth and SDG contributions of top IITs, highlighting their publication trends, collaboration patterns, research impact, and alignment with sustainable development goals from 1952 to 2024.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive quantitative assessment of IITs' research performance, collaboration networks, and SDG focus areas, offering insights into their strengths and challenges.

Findings

Research output has grown exponentially over the years.

IIT-Kanpur has the highest research impact.

IIT-Madras leads in inter-IIT collaborations.

Abstract

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are vital to India's research ecosystem, advancing technology and engineering for industrial and societal benefits. This study reviews the research performance of top IITs-Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Kharagpur, and Kanpur based on Scopus-indexed publications (1952-2024). Research output has grown exponentially, supported by increased funding and collaborations. IIT-Kanpur excels in research impact, while IIT-Bombay and IIT-Madras are highly productive but show slightly lower per-paper impact. Internationally, IITs collaborate robustly with the USA, Germany, and the UK, alongside Asian nations like Japan and South Korea, with IIT-Madras leading inter-IIT partnerships. Research priorities align with SDG 3 (Health), SDG 7 (Clean Energy), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities). Despite strengths in fields like energy, fluid dynamics, and materials science, challenges persist, including limited collaboration with newer IITs and gaps in emerging fields. Strengthening specialization and partnerships is crucial for addressing global challenges and advancing sustainable development.