India's five-member team delivered a flawless performance at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 in Colombia, winning five gold medals and helping the country secure the joint World No. 1 rank alongside China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan.
The Indian contingent shared the top rank with China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, and Taiwan among 381 students from 87 participating countries, underlining India's growing prominence in science education and international academic competitions.
The gold medal winners are Kanishk Jain from Pune, Maharashtra; Riddhesh Anant Bendale from Indore, Madhya Pradesh; Rishit Garg from Dwarka, New Delhi; Shresth Suraiya from Mumbai, Maharashtra; and Svarit Joshi from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The latest achievement extends India's strong record at the International Physics Olympiad, with every Indian participant over the past decade securing a podium finish. The success has been attributed to the Olympiad programme run by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), a National Centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), which functions under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
As India's nodal agency for international science Olympiads, HBCSE identifies and mentors talented pre-university students through a rigorous multi-stage selection process, orientation camps and intensive training. Congratulating the team, Department of Atomic Energy Secretary and Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty described the achievement as a matter of immense national pride.
He said the clean sweep of five gold medals and the joint World No. 1 ranking reflected the talent and dedication of the students as well as the sustained efforts of the HBCSE-TIFR Olympiad programme. He also congratulated the students' parents, teachers and mentors, saying their success would inspire more young minds to pursue excellence in science and strengthen India's leadership in scientific education and innovation.
The Department of Atomic Energy also congratulated the team leaders, Prof. Anwesh Mazumdar of HBCSE-TIFR and Dr Leena Joshi of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, along with the scientific observers, Prof. Ananda Dasgupta of IISER Kolkata and Nisha Kelkar of Gogate-Joglekar College, Ratnagiri, besides the Physics Olympiad mentor pool at HBCSE for preparing the students for the global competition.