Coworking operators lease 1.91 lakh seats across 8 cities in January-June with 68pc annual rise: Cushman & Wakefield

Co-working centre operators have leased over 1.91 lakh seats to corporates across top 8 cities during January-June period, a 68 per cent annual increase, amid rising demand for flexible managed office spaces, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

These operators leased 1,91,306 desks during the first six months of this year as against 1,13,623 in the year-ago period.

Real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield noted that corporates are increasingly preferring to adopt flexible workspace solutions offered by the coworking operators.


As per the data, the leasing of coworking seats in Bengaluru rose 32 per cent to 57,487 desks in the January-June period from 43,616 desks in the corresponding period of the preceding year.

In Hyderabad, the coworking operators leased 40,451 desks during January-June 2026, a more than two fold jump from 14,936 units in the year-ago period.

Mumbai too saw a sharp jump as coworking operators leased 25,820 desks in the first half of this year as against 11,226 desks in the year-ago period.

To set up centres, the coworking operators took on rent 8.4 million sq ft office spaces in January-June 2026, a 55 per cent increase from 5.4 million sq ft in the year-ago period, the consultant said.

Ramita Arora, Executive Managing Director, Bengaluru & Head - Flex, India, Cushman & Wakefield, said, "Flexible workspaces have firmly established themselves as a core element of corporate real estate strategies."

As enterprises seek greater agility and efficiency, flex and managed office solutions are becoming an integral part of long-term workplace planning, Arora said, adding that the global capability centres (GCCs) continue to be a significant demand driver.

Arun Narayan, Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer, BHIVE Workspace, said, "Flex leasing, which accounted for only a small share of commercial leasing in India a few years ago, now contributes close to 20 per cent of annual commercial leasing activity, reflecting how fundamentally workplace preferences have shifted. Against this backdrop, leasing nearly 70 per cent more seats in the first half of the year is a strong indication of the growing preference for flexible, enterprise-ready workspaces."