India has achieved one of its best performances at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 after all five members of its team won gold medals. With the clean sweep, India jointly secured the world no.1 rank at the prestigious global competition held in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
The International Physics Olympiad 2026 brought together 381 students from 87 countries. India shared the top position with China, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan after every member of its team earned a gold medal.
The five Indian students who won Gold medals are Kanishk Jain from Pune, Maharashtra, Riddhesh Anant Bendale from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Rishit Garg from Dwarka in New Delhi, Shresth Suraiya from Mumbai, Maharashtra, and Svarit Joshi from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, reported news agency ANI.
An outstanding performance by our youngsters!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2026
Congratulations to the Indian contingent of Kanishk Jain, Riddhesh Anant Bendale, Rishit Garg, Shresth Suraiya and Svarit Joshi for winning Gold Medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) 2026 held in Bucaramanga,… pic.twitter.com/oiAVLy110P
The achievement adds another milestone to India’s growing success in international science competitions. Every Indian participant at the International Physics Olympiad over the last decade has returned home with a medal, reflecting the country’s strong performance in the competition.
How did India perform at International Physics Olympiad 2026?
India delivered a perfect result at this year’s Olympiad as all five students won Gold medals. The performance placed the country among the world’s top-performing nations in physics education.
The International Physics Olympiad is one of the world’s most respected competitions for pre-university students. It tests participants through demanding theoretical and experimental physics examinations that require deep understanding, problem-solving skills and scientific reasoning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the students for their remarkable achievement. In a post on X, he described the result as an outstanding performance by India’s youngsters and congratulated Kanishk Jain, Riddhesh Anant Bendale, Rishit Garg, Shresth Suraiya and Svarit Joshi for bringing glory to the country.
India’s success came against strong competition from students representing 87 countries, reported ANI. By securing five gold medals, the Indian team matched the performance of the other top-ranked countries and jointly claimed the world no.1 position.
The Prime Minister said the students’ success reflected the limitless potential of India’s youth and their passion for science and research. He added that Indian students have performed exceptionally well at different editions of the International Physics Olympiad over the past decade.
Who trained Indian team for Physics Olympiad?
India’s Olympiad programme is coordinated by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), a National Centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research under the Department of Atomic Energy, reported ANI. The institution identifies talented school students through several stages of selection and prepares them through intensive training before international competitions.
Department of Atomic Energy Secretary and Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty congratulated the students and called the achievement a matter of immense national pride. He said winning five Gold medals and jointly securing the world no. 1 rank reflected the talent, hard work and scientific ability of India’s young physicists.
HBCSE director Arnab Bhattacharya said India’s consistent success in international science and mathematics Olympiads reflects years of dedicated mentoring and support from the Department of Atomic Energy, reported ANI. He said the sustained effort has helped build a strong system that encourages and develops young scientific talent across the country.
