India needs both fundamental research and practical solutions without making inclusion in the ‘top 2% scientists’ database’ the primary goal. Rethink “top 2%” labels: emphasize genuine scientific contributions and practical impact over exclusive rankings in Indian research. India has 6,954 researchers on the single-year Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% Scientists list of 2026 and 3,898 on the career-long list. Both figures come from a citation-based global database, but.