India’s office market has undergone steady transition, says Mehrotra
India’s office market is poised to sustain its growth trajectory in 2026, with Grade A demand projected at 70-75 million sq ft and new supply at 60-65 million sq ft, supported by a deeper and more diversified occupier base, evolving occupier preferences and increasing institutionalization of the asset class, according to a report released on 18 Mar.
Colliers’ latest report “2026 India office: Unlocking agility, vitality and flight-to-quality”, highlights five intrinsic drivers that will shape the next phase of structural growth and occupier resilience – accelerated Global Capability Center (GCC) expansion, rising flex adoption, shift towards REIT-led ownership, tech-enabled workspaces and sustainability focused, climate resilient workplaces.
These shifts driven by agile workspace requirements and flight-to-quality, supported by cost as well as talent arbitrage of major office markets in India, can potentially set a stronger growth trajectory, especially when compared to other markets in the APAC region.
By 2030, India’s Grade A office stock is likely to comfortably surpass 1 billion sq ft mark. Moreover, average vacancy levels in the leading cities are likely to decline amidst robust demand, while average rentals will firm up further.
Most of the Indian office markets are expected to witness firm demand and project completions in 2026, similar or higher than 2025 levels. This reinforces the prevailing positive occupier sentiment and continued developer confidence in the Indian office market, even in the wake of ongoing global volatilities.
Bengaluru is expected to dominate the Indian office market in 2026 too, with the city accounting close to one-third of the overall leasing activity and supply additions each. Meanwhile, Hyderabad and Delhi-NCR are likely to record over 10 million sq ft of demand as well as new supply each in 2026, underscoring their continued prominence in the Indian office market.
“India’s office market has undergone a steady transition, while picking up pace in recent years. Post the expansionary phase of 2024 & 2025, demarcated by consecutive years of record-breaking demand, the office market is set for a future-ready cycle of structural growth & institutionalization,” says Arpit Mehrotra, Managing Director, Office Services, Colliers India.
“The ongoing scale-up is likely to be driven by expanding footprint of GCCs, strengthening flex space offerings, expanding talent corridors and broadening occupier base. These enabling factors are likely to fuel Grade A leasing activity to the tune of 70-75 million sq ft in 2026, building a potential roadmap towards 100 million sq ft of annual demand in the coming years,” said Mehrotra.
GCC leasing volumes are likely to reach 30-35 msf in 2026 and account for 40-50% share
GCCs have evolved from traditional back-offices to innovation-driven, domain specialized, technologically integrated centers and are set to drive 30-35 million sq ft of leasing in 2026, accounting for 40-50% of the Grade A office demand. They are likely to further consolidate their role as high–value growth engines across diverse sectors like Technology, BFSI, engineering & manufacturing etc.
Interestingly, going ahead, as GCCs increasingly favor scalable footprints with distributed delivery hubs (HQ + satellite + flex) and flexible commitment periods, real estate developers are likely to progressively focus on modular, scalable and plug–and–play facilities.
Flex operators can potentially account for 20-25% of Grade A office space demand in 2026
Flex spaces have become an integral component of occupier strategy driven by scalability, cost arbitrage, risk mitigation, and hybrid work enablement. In 2026, annual leasing by flex space operators is expected to reach 15-18 million sq ft and account for 20-25% of the overall leasing activity.
In fact, the country’s flex stock is expected to touch 85-90 million sq ft by 2026 and surpass 100 million sq ft by 2027. Additionally, flex operators will continue to support GCCs in establishing operations in India through location advisory, regulatory and compliance assistance, talent ecosystem support, and integrating technology infrastructure solutions.
In 2026 and beyond, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) will increase democratization of commercial real estate in India enhancing retail investor participation. Currently, about 525 million sq ft of the existing Grade A office stock in India is REIT-worthy, of which nearly 141 million sq ft of assets are already listed under four office REITs. The remaining 384 million sq ft stock has the potential to be included in future REITs. Resultantly, REIT penetration is likely to breach 20% over the course of next few years, marking a steady shift in how commercial real estate is owned, managed and monetized in India.
Retrofitting, renewable energy integration, and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)-aligned designs are becoming central to asset competitiveness led by global mandates, investor scrutiny, and occupier commitment to net-zero goals. As of 2025, with around 574 million sq ft stock, green certified buildings accounted for nearly two-thirds of the overall office stock. Going ahead in 2026, over 80% of the new supply is expected to be green certified, pushing overall green penetration to 70–75% at the India level. In fact, leasing activity in such green certified and tech-integrated buildings is set to rise and account for nearly 80% share in overall leasing in 2026.
“Climate-ready assets are likely to dominate institutional portfolios and REIT pipelines in the long-term, with ESG commitments accelerating the adoption of global best practices. As ESG performance evolves from a compliance metric to a true value driver, influencing asset valuations and investor preference, data-driven benchmarking will become central to asset competitiveness,” elaborated Vimal Nadar, National Director & Head, Research, Colliers India.
“In fact, Indian office market has a significant retrofitting potential with over 420 million sq ft of relatively older office buildings (more than 10 years old), which present an investment opportunity exceeding INR 500 billion. Moreover, developers who integrate digital infrastructure and sustainability on an ongoing basis will be best positioned to attract & retain occupiers in the long-term,” said Nadar.
Overall, technology adoption is expected to accelerate and expand across all stages of asset lifecycle. Developers and investors will continue to leverage technology platforms for integrated planning, development, operations and tenant experience, as occupiers continue to prioritize technologically advanced, future-ready workplaces, said the report. Fiinews.com
