Open access institutional repositories in India: insights from the OPENDOAR

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the status of open access institutional repositories (OAIRs) in India as listed in the Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR). Relevant data from OpenDOAR focuses on key repository characteristics, including year-wise growth, subject coverage, content types, Location/state-wise distribution, and software used. Findings show the number of libraries in India that have registered institutional repositories in OpenDOAR. Methodology/Approach: This paper applies a descriptive research approach. Relevant data were collected from the OpenDOAR website (https://opendoar.ac.uk/) as of July 23rd, 2025. The collected data were analyzed, designed, and presented through tables and charts to identify trends and patterns across different parameters and the status of registered institutions in OpenDOAR. Results: A total of 24 institutional repositories from India were registered and examined. Institutional repositories accounted for the 5th place (20.83%), with the highest numbers registered in 2011 and 2015, respectively, and no registrations in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020-2023. Out of 28 States and 8 Union territories of India, only 9 state institutions were registered. The most dominant state was Karnataka, with 6 (25.00%), and the least dominant states were Kerala and Rajasthan, with 1 (4.17%) each. Science & technology and social sciences emerged as the most representative subjects. Journal articles, theses, and dissertations made up the majority of the repository's content. DSpace was the dominant software used. Pragmatic Implications: The discovery of this paper offers valuable insights for repository developers, policymakers, and academic/Non-academic institutions in India, guiding them to strengthen open access infrastructure and enhance research visibility, thereby influencing the registration of more repositories in OpenDOAR. Value/Originality: This paper provides a well-focused assessment of India’s Contribution to global open access through institutional repositories, setting benchmarks for its progress and identifying areas for development.